Astana (Kazakhstan's capital, often cited as one of the world's coldest) has already endured two record-breaking heatwaves this summer, with temperatures hitting 39.5°C on 14 July — far above the previous record of 35.3°C set 34 years ago — while broader Kazakhstan has seen highs of up to 48°C in the south and southeast. The World Health Organization warns that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan face the steepest rises in heatwave-related mortality in Central Asia in the near term, urging governments to adopt heat-health action plans immediately, noting that countries with such plans have cut excess heat deaths by around 25 per cent. The crisis reflects a deeper climate trend: Kazakhstan is warming faster than the global average, glaciers have lost up to 30 per cent of their mass since 1950, and experts warn of severe long-term water and food security risks for a region that includes one of the world's leading wheat exporters.