World's hottest city where fish boil in the sea and birds drop from the sky

No leadtext (Image: (Image: GETTY))

Kuwait City, once celebrated as the idyllic "Marseilles of the Gulf", is now enduring temperatures so punishing wildlife is literally being cooked alive.

The Middle Eastern capital has emerged as a stark warning of climate change's devastating impact, with birds plummeting lifeless from the blistering skies and fish perishing in boiling waters.

In its golden era, Kuwait City flourished as a vibrant commercial centre boasting a thriving fishing trade and pristine coastlines that attracted sun-seeking tourists in droves. Today, however, the city grapples with the alarming prospect of becoming entirely unliveable due to soaring temperatures.

The Mitribah weather station recorded an extraordinary 54C (129F) on 21 July 2016, securing Kuwait's position as having the third-highest temperature ever documented on Earth. Even Europe's recent Cerberus Heatwave appears mild by comparison, falling short of Kuwait's peak by a full 10 degrees Celsius.

Climate scientists paint a grim picture for the future, predicting this Gulf nation could experience temperature rises of up to 5.5C (10F) by the close of this century when measured against early 2000s data. 2023 alone saw temperatures surge beyond 50C (122F) on nineteen separate occasions, a figure many fear represents merely the beginning, reports <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/inside-worlds-hottest-city-fish-35421387" rel="Follow" target="_self">the Mirror</a>.

The city can reach unbearable temperatures (Image: (Image: GETTY))

Rapid urbanisation has reshaped Kuwait City into an unforgiving sprawl of unyielding concrete and tarmac, creating zones that are increasingly becoming dangerously hot for human occupation during the summer months. Scientific data reveals a worrying decline in yearly rainfall, intensifying severe dust storms sweeping across the increasingly parched country.

The blistering heatwave has resulted in distressing incidents, with birds plummeting lifeless from the skies and seahorses perishing in overheated waters, whilst even hardy pigeons desperately shelter from the unforgiving sunshine.

As the mercury climbs to a dangerous 50C - an extraordinary 13C higher than normal human body temperature - the danger of heat-induced conditions including heat exhaustion and heart problems rises sharply.

In an extraordinary step, Kuwait has authorised nighttime burials owing to the oppressive temperatures, whilst affluent residents withdraw into their climate-controlled havens, whether residential properties, workplaces, or shopping centres.

Wildlife is being boiled alive (Image: (Image: GETTY))

The severe conditions have driven the development of cutting-edge facilities such as an enclosed retail complex, featuring palm trees and Continental-style shops, providing consumers with refuge from the harsh elements.

Research from 2020 showed that an enormous two-thirds of household energy usage stems from the constant operation of cooling systems.

Writing for ExpatsExchange, Joshua Wood commended Kuwait for its "high quality of life" in a "modern, luxurious and safe" setting but warned about the extreme temperatures, noting it is "very hot from May through September" and becomes "insanely hot" during the height of summer from June to August. Despite the blistering heat, the streets are far from empty.

Migrant workers, primarily from Arab, South and South East Asian countries, makeup about 70% of the nation's population.

Many people are drawn to Kuwait for employment opportunities in sectors such as construction or domestic services. These workers fill the sweltering public buses of the capital and throng the city streets.

A study conducted in 2023 by the Institute of Physics highlighted that migrant workers can be especially susceptible to negative health impacts due to exposure to extreme temperatures. The research suggests by the century's end, climate change could result in a 5.1% to 11.7% increase in heat-related fatalities across the entire population, and potentially even up to 15% among non-Kuwaiti individuals.

Warnings about the state of our planet often fall on deaf ears, but in Kuwait - where the devastating effects of climate change are already visible and the carbon footprint is colossal - only Bahrain and Qatar have higher emissions.

While neighbouring nations have pledged substantial cuts in emissions, Kuwait's commitments appear paltry in comparison. At COP26, the country announced a modest reduction in emissions (7.4%) by 2035.

Kuwait City is dubbed the 'world's hottest city' (Image: Getty Images)

Kuwaiti government officials forecast that energy demand will triple by 2030, largely driven by an expected surge in the use of indoor cooling systems.

The Government shouldering a substantial share of electricity costs has resulted in little motivation for residents to reduce their energy consumption. Water usage displays a comparable trend owing to power-hungry treatment procedures.

Environmental specialist Salman Zafar warned of the grave implications climate change could have for Kuwait, explaining: "Kuwait could be potentially facing serious impacts of global warming in the form of floods, droughts, depletion of aquifers, inundation of coastal areas, frequent sandstorms, loss of biodiversity, significant damage to ecosystem, threat to agricultural production and outbreak of diseases."