What happens when extreme weather hits several places at once?
The effects of concurrent disasters can be greater than the sum of their parts
BETWEEN JULY 10th and July 16th, more than 100m Americans were warned by their government of “potentially deadly” temperatures. Swathes of Asia and Europe are broiling. China’s temperature record was shattered; people sought relief from the heat in bomb shelters. Authorities in Athens shut the Acropolis after overheated tourists were taken to hospital; wildfires raged south of the city. Elsewhere, the heavens opened. Exceptional monsoon rains washed away cars, bridges and homes in northern India, shortly after Delhi recorded its heaviest day of rainfall in more than 40 years. South Korea scrambled to rescue people trapped by floods and landslides. Back in America Vermont was battered by storms, and roads in New Hampshire collapsed after torrential rain.
From the July 22nd 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from The Economist explains
What do Greenlanders think of being bought?
Donald Trump’s desire for Greenland, and a shabby visit by his son, reignite the independence debate
What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal?
The president-elect claims the crossing is controlled by China and rips off American consumers
Where does Santa come from?
How a miracle-working Greek bishop, Dutch folk figure and early New York icon became the ubiquitous symbol of Christmas
Who are the main rebel groups in Syria?
They were united against the country’s dictator. Now they have little in common
Is RFK junior right to say America allows more toxins than the EU?
He is, but things are slowly beginning to change
What would it cost to kill coal?
The price of shutting down coal power, and what would be gained