Extreme heat and humidity are causing 47,000 deaths across Europe—here’s what it does to the human body
The two hottest days in the world on file happened in July and 2024 is on track to be warmest year ever. More heat waves frequenthas become more acute and frequent sooner than expected. Humidity and harsh weather factors are testing the limits of the human body. More 1,300 people died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia in June when temperatures reached around 52 degrees Celsius (126 degrees Fahrenheit), while the number of heat-related deaths has also been recorded this year in locations including the United States, Thailand, India and Mexico. Some parts of Europe — where high temperatures contributed more than 47,000 deaths in 2023 — be on the lookout for more extreme conditions this summer.
What makes extreme heat dangerous?
Have many reasons. People are more likely to become dehydrated in high temperatures, which increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. High temperatures can aggravate respiratory problems, especially in places with high pollution levels. Heat stress makes it harder for people to work and increases vulnerability. It is difficult to know exactly how many people die from heat each year; most not counted. Europe may have experienced 61,672 heat-related deaths in 2022, although that figure likely underestimates the actual total, according to Emerging economies are more affected than developed ones because they tend to get less respite from the sun; most people work outside and few have effective cooling systems in their homes. Concrete and asphalt in urban environments can trap heat, increasing night temperature and contribute to heat stress. Women And elderly are found by studies to be the population group most affected by extreme heat.
How are extreme temperatures measured?
Forecaster are increasingly using measures to reduce heat stress and discomfort — such as humidityheat index or apparent temperature—to understand the health risks posed by high temperatures. “Wet bulb” is one such measure. It takes into account the effects of humidity, which makes it harder for the human body to cool itself by sweating. For example, 106 degrees Fahrenheit with 40 percent humidity—think Phoenix, Arizona, in July—has a wet bulb temperature of about 86 degrees Fahrenheit. A lower temperature, such as 100 degrees Fahrenheit, but with humidity higher than 80 percent, would result in a wet bulb temperature of about 95 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s high enough to cause heatstroke even in healthy people with unlimited shade and water, and who have begin to appear in coastal subtropical regions. In fact, shade and water are often limited, and high temperatures can kill at much lower wet bulb temperatures. A 2020 study published in the journal Science shows that areas affected by the 2003 heatwaves in Europe and the 2010 heatwaves in Russia, which killed thousands of people, had temperatures no higher than 28 degrees Celsius.
How is wet bulb temperature measured?
Initially, scientists would wrap a wet cloth around the bulb of a thermometer. Scientists would record the temperature after the evaporation of the water cooled it, much like the body cools itself by sweating. Now, wet-bulb temperatures are measured electronically at weather stations, with further studies of hot spots supported by satellite data from sources including NASA and the International Space Station. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States has also developed a tool to forecast a more advanced measure of heat stress, wet bulb temperature, which includes wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover.
Where is the problem?
Traditionally, temperatures and humidity are highest in South Asia and subtropical climates. Parts of India have recorded wet bulb temperatures above 32 degrees Celsius; the United Nations predicts that it will be one of the first countries to surpass a wet bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius. Global warming and its impacts El Nino weather model That means there’s a high chance of record temperatures and humidity being set this year across a range of regions straddling the equator, including Florida, Texas, much of Africa, India, Australia and Central and South America, according to to the University of California, Berkeley. More and more typically temperate places are also seeing extremely hot days. The UK registered a record of 40.3 degrees Celsius in July 2022, although low relative humidity kept wet ball temperatures at around 25 degrees Celsius. Barcelona experienced hottest day ever in late July. In the United States, heat warnings covered about half the population as of August 1, the World Meteorological Organization said. Japan, Greece, Hungary and Croatia among the countries with the hottest July on record.
What is the economic impact of temperature?
In places with extreme heat, every aspect of life becomes more difficult and inequality is exacerbated, especially in cities. But Even cooler places feel the impact.usually due to rising food and energy prices. Coffee prices have skyrocketed this year. Highest in 45 years as high temperatures and persistent drought exacerbate supply shortages in Vietnam, the world’s largest robusta producer. This year’s drought in Russia has prompted analysts to cut wheat production forecasts, and supplies of crops including rapeseed and chickpeas also remain vulnerable to high temperatures. Previous El Niños have led to significant impact on global inflationadd 3.9 percentage points to non-energy commodity prices and 3.5 points to oil prices, according to Bloomberg’s economic model. Electricity consumption also increases during peak heat waves, straining the grid and consumers’ wallets as prices spike. Natural gas prices rose this summer as consumers grappled with the risk of blackouts; Egypt, typically a fuel exporter, has turned to LNG amid higher demand. Heat also exacerbates droughtmore stress hydroelectric And nuclear energy production. Extreme temperatures pose an increasing threat to outdoor activities, disrupting events including concertreligious gatherings and sporting events.
How are extreme temperatures related to climate change?
A new branch of science, extreme event attributionconnects global warming to extreme weather events to a certain extent. Heat waves are most directly linked to human greenhouse gas pollution. And heat, along with drought and wind, fuels wildfires, which is why scientists now believe that climate change is exacerbating wildfires in the western United States, Australia, and elsewhere. (The fire season in the United States is two more months than in the 1970s and 1980s.) Global warming is making tropical cyclone — also known as hurricanes or tropical storms — are more intense. Warmer water and more humid air — two results of global warming — provide more fuel for such storms, such as Storm Beryl breaks records in July raged through the Caribbean and the United States. In India and Pakistan, extreme temperatures were 30 times more likely due to climate change.
