When the days and nights are too hot, city dwellers will be the first to run into problems. The silent killer that takes more lives than hurricanes or floods is the heat. The heat waves that hit Europe in 2003 killed more than 70,000 people. Almost 20 thousand of them lived in France. Many elderly Parisians prepared for death in their apartments. Heat-related deaths have continued to rise since 1986. In the future, as greenhouse gases accumulate in the atmosphere and the climate changes rapidly, heat waves will continue to break records across the planet. But is humanity ready for extreme heat?
Why is abnormal heat dangerous?
Temperatures are likely to continue to rise as carbon dioxide, methane and other gases heat up the planet. Heat waves (called unusually warm weather that lasts two or more days) will be longer and hotter. Aside from death, scientists are beginning to document other negative effects of climate change: heat seems to deprive us of sleep and affect our performance. So, heat reduces mental abilities by an average of 13%. This conclusion was reached by scientists from Harvard University, whose work was published in the journal Plos One. While heat is viewed by many as a nuisance rather than a threat, climate change, extreme heat and human health are intertwined. In 20 years time, heat waves can become a very serious problem. So,According to a report presented by the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the number of days per year higher with temperatures above 35 ° C will increase, and average summer temperatures will reach new heights if greenhouse gas emissions remain at the same level.
Heat waves that enveloped Europe in the summer of 2019 are highlighted in red.
Heat takes more lives than floods, hurricanes, and other weather-related natural disasters. The human body does not tolerate excessive heat. The biological and chemical processes that keep us alive work best when the body temperature is between 36 ° C and 37 ° C. The human body is always trying to get rid of excessive heat. The blood vessels dilate and the heart rate increases. This increases blood flow to the skin where the blood can generate heat for cooling. In the same way, we sweat to refresh our skin. However, the body cannot constantly adapt to extreme heat. The human body has a limit. For example, strong heat waves can cause weakness, dizziness and nausea, as well as heatstroke.
Who is at risk?
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No one is immune from the heat, but high temperatures affect some groups more than others. The elderly are considered the most vulnerable. The fact is that their bodies have fewer sweat glands and are also slower to respond to higher temperatures. The ability to regulate body temperature is not fully developed in children, and in pregnant women this process is complicated by the fetus. People with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity can also experience poor health. However, the poor are most likely to suffer because of the lack of air conditioning and other resources to withstand the extremely hot conditions.
Air conditioners can make life much easier in conditions of abnormally high temperatures, but they will not solve the problem.
Recently, scientists are increasingly studying the effect of high temperatures on human health. So, according to a study conducted by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heat negatively affects sleep quality. During the preparation for sleep, the body temperature decreases, respectively, the higher the temperature in the room, the harder the sleep. Extremely high temperatures have a negative impact on human health, often leading to exacerbation of chronic diseases and premature death. It turns out that humanity is not ready for the annual rise in temperatures and heat waves. The only solution that can prevent such a bleak, hot future is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Do you think that heat waves will really shake the world in the future?
Lyubov Sokovikova