Weather maps of the world’s hottest cities, where temperatures exceed 40°C, reveal why locals call them “unlivable.”
In Kuwait City, scorching temperatures and sandstorm warnings are visible in an interactive weather forecast, with birds falling from the sky due to extreme heat.
The city also has air-conditioned indoor streets that pump cool air to keep merchants and shoppers comfortable.
Weather maps showing temperature, precipitation and wind gusts show the entire city covered in a deep red colour, signifying extreme heat.
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Wind gusts of up to 36 mph are expected over the next week or so, putting the scorching city on heightened alert for dust storms.
Conditions in the city have been described as “unlivable” by local residents, with summer heat regularly reaching 52 degrees Celsius.
Last year, the city’s Mitriba weather station recorded 54 degrees Celsius, the third-highest temperature in the world.
Climate scientists predict temperatures in the city could rise by up to 5.5°C by the end of the century, which, combined with declining rainfall, is leaving the country dangerously dry.
Dust storms have also increased, there have been reports of dead birds falling from the sky and seahorses being boiled to death in the bay, and the government issued a decree this year allowing funerals to be held at night.
Once known as the “Marseilles of the Gulf” and a thriving trading and fishing hub, Kuwait City rose to fame after the discovery of oil in the 1930s.
Wealthy locals have chosen to stay in luxury homes to stay cool, and the city now has indoor shopping streets lined with palm trees and European-style boutiques, all equipped with air conditioning, which has become a necessity and a power hog.
A 2020 study found that two-thirds of total electricity consumption comes from air conditioning units that run constantly, every day.
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