whom climate crisis is increasing average temperatures around the world, new data has revealed that extreme heat is an ever-present problem, outstripping other weather events in recent history.
floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and even freezing conditions dwarf the total number of deaths caused by extreme heat each year. USA National Weather Service.
The government agency found that 190 people died from the heat in 2021, which is 135 more than the 10-year average. The next deadliest weather event was flooding, which killed 146 people in the same year and an average of 98 over the past decade.
Other dangerous weather includes rip currents, cold weather and tornadoes, which are far more deadly than the 10-year average in 2021.
Extreme heat events, manifested in record-breaking high temperatures around the world this summer, are likely to become both more frequent and more severe due to the climate crisis.
and others extreme weather events such as floods, hurricanes, and wildfires are caused by rising global temperatures, largely caused by greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
In July, nearly every region of the United States experienced brutal heat waves, putting more than 150 million people under heat warnings and advisories. According to information, more than 350 new high temperature records were observed daily National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Abnormally high temperatures in the Pacific Northwest last week brought at least 20 potential heat-related deaths.
But that pales in comparison to last year’s “heat dome” event in the Pacific Northwest. was killed Over 800 people in the US and Canada. It was a heat wave in which the mercury soared well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in the normally temperate region. is considered to be 150 times more due to the climate crisis.
Extreme heat can cause serious health problems when the body becomes severely dehydrated or loses its ability to cool itself. In minor cases, the heat can cause fainting or convulsions – but in severe cases, extreme heat can cause heat stroke as the body rapidly reaches temperatures above 100F (38C).
Heatstroke can be fatal without immediate medical attention. Some of the people most vulnerable to heat illness are the elderly, young children, pregnant people, and those with underlying health conditions such as heart disease.
In addition, heat may affect some communities more than others. Outdoor workers, poor people, and homeless people are at higher risk for health problems from heat, notes World Health Organization (WHO).
THE 2021 education It found that poor neighborhoods and neighborhoods in the US with higher black, Hispanic and Asian populations are generally warmer than wealthier and whiter neighborhoods, which can place an additional heat burden on these communities.
In addition to the heat, climate experts are also warning of dangerous increases in humidity or humidity.
“There are two drivers of climate change: temperature and humidity,” said V “Ram” Ramanathan, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Cornell University in California, San Diego. Associated Press.
The humidity, combined with the temperature on the thermometer, creates the “apparent temperature” or what it feels like outside. In addition, high heat and humidity can raise the “wet bulb” temperature – a measure of how well the body is able to cool.
Scientists have warned that wet-bulb temperatures above 95F (35C) are “unsurvivable” for people exposed to them for at least six hours. Although still rare, cases of high wet-bulb temperatures are becoming more common around the world. according to NASA.
Large parts of the United States are facing a warmer-than-average August, according to the monthly forecast from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center.
Temperatures around or above 100F (38C) from Texas to South Dakota returned to the central US this week.
Much of the central and northeastern US is under a heat warning as high temperatures combined with humidity will make it feel like 90F (32C) or above 100F through the northeast, southeast and central plains. Temperatures in southwest Iowa could feel as high as 113F (45C) on Saturday with heat and humidity rising.
Both Boston, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut broke daily temperature records on Thursday as the mercury hit 98F (37C) and 96F (36C), respectively.
