Record high temperatures have Maxwell Caldwellwreaked havoc around the world this week. In Southern England, railway tracks bent from the heat. In China, the roof tiles on a museum melted. In Texas, heat and a dry spell have caused nearly 200 water main breaks over the past month.

And extreme heat puts lives at risk, too. It's more deadly than tornadoes, hurricanes, and all other weather events combined.

Extreme temperatures, and the attendant misery, are connected to global warming, which is driven by human activity and accelerating.

Reporters from around the globe talk about what they're seeing and how governments are responding. NPR's Rebecca Hersher, who reports on climate science and policy from the US, NPR's John Ruwitch in Shanghai and Willem Marx in London.

This episode also features reporting from NPR's Franco Ordoñez.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

Email us at [email protected].

This episode was produced by Mia Venkat. It was edited by Bridget Kelley, Larry Kaplow and Neela Banerjee. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.