UN: Extreme heat will threaten humanity, no nation is immune

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres issued a ominous warning Monday, saying that humanity faces “collective suicide” from the impact of extreme climate events, including fires and heat waves, which are currently being hunted worldwide.

Guterres' statement came after Britain declared a national emergency preparing for the hottest day ever recorded, with temperatures that could rise to 41 degrees, according to Evening Standard.

The half of humanity is in the danger zone, from floods, droughts, extreme storms and the” fires, Guterres said, according to The Guardian.

No nation is immune. Yet we continue to feed our dependence on fossil fuels. We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It's in our hands”, he said.

Guterres made these comments to representatives from 40 countries meeting in Berlin this week to discuss the climate crisis and other global urgent issues.

Throughout Europe, the effects from the extreme heat wave were visible, as warm air was expected to move north from London to Manchester and Leeds. And for the first time, Britain issued a red “alarm”, which means that heat was a threat to life.

In London, some tourist attractions planned to restrict visitors or close early, and zoos took steps to protect their animals, keeping them inside. In Spain a fireman was killed on Sunday while fighting a fire.

Fires have destroyed lands throughout Europe and South America, while temperatures have broken record records in India, South Asia, and parts of Africa in recent months.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the situation was almost the same - Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and large areas that saw temperatures rise to 43 degrees.

The Dialogue on Climate in Petersburg lasts through Tuesday and may be the last chance by world leaders to agree on climate solutions ahead of the COP27 Climate Summit in Egypt in November.