Wildfires, droughts, and extreme heat waves are raging through Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East and Asia as we head into the heat of fall.
The big picture: A heat wave and coinciding drought in China have no precedent in modern weather records, given the heat's severity and duration.
Alaska, Siberia and even London have all seen wildfires.
- Severe droughts have also whiplashed into floods in the Southwest and Central U.S., with the dry soil leading to flash flooding, since it cannot absorb high levels of rainfall.
- At least six 1,000-year rainstorms struck the U.S. within a month, from Dallas to Kentucky to Death Valley, Calif., causing deadly flash flooding.
- Climate change studies have shown that hydrological extremes at both ends of the spectrum — heavy precipitation and drought — are likely to be more common and intense as the world warms.
Through the lens: These photos show the real life impact of increasing temperatures worldwide.
