The world's first heatwave that has been named has arrived in Spain with temperatures in excess of 43C today.
Names are usually only reserved for storms during periods of extreme weather in order to alert the public and avoid confusion across the globe.
Now officials in Spain have launched a heatwave categorisation system designed to monitor high temperatures as well as the likes of humidity - while increasing public awareness. It sorts 'heat events' into three tiers with each one triggering different measures in Seville's emergency and disaster response plans, reports TIME.
It comes as Europe is seeing a record-breaking surge in scorching weather, with the UK left baking in its highest ever readings last week.
Seville is one of the worst hit places, already facing its fourth major heatwave this summer causing the local government has taken unprecedented action.
The three-tiered heat categories can trigger the deployment of community health workers to check on vulnerable people and increasing opening hours for swimming pools.
The highest tier will get names, similar to storms in the winter months, in the hope people will be more cautious.
Zoe is expected to peter out after today but, going by the system, the likes of Yago, Xenia, Wenceslao, and Vega could follow shortly.
The southern city, with a population of 700,000, is, however, far from the hottest populated place on Earth.
Last month the city of Jacobabad in Pakistan recorded temperatures of 51C, for example.
Different countries have their own definitions of a heatwave, with the UK needing to see three consecutive days above a certain temperature, which varies across each region.
Last Tuesday, Britain recorded 40.3C for the first time since records began but Spain, Portugal, France, Iran, China, India and the US have all also seen unprecedented temperatures this summer.
Kathy Baughman McLeod, director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center think tank that helped design Seville’s system, said she hopes “this pilot will serve as a model for other leaders and governments to follow. People do not have to die from heat.”
It comes as a study said Britain's 40C temperatures will be the norm within 30 years.
The study warns that extreme heatwaves will increase by more than 30 percent in the coming years.
They are fuelled by the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities, say scientists.
Last week serves as an early preview of what climate forecasters believe will be typical summer weather - in 2050.
Study co author Dr Chunzai Wang, of the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, said: “An extraordinary and unprecedented heatwave swept western North America in late June of 2021.
“It resulted in hundreds of deaths and a massive die-off of sea creatures off the coast as well as horrific wildfires.
“In this paper, we studied the physical processes of internal variability, such as atmospheric circulation patterns, and external forcing, such as anthropogenic (manmade) greenhouse gases.”
The findings in Advances in Atmospheric Sciences shed fresh light on the current heatwave - in the UK.
They also show temperatures will continue to rise - leading to more frequent extreme heatwaves.
