Since high temperatures are much more difficult to endure due to humidity, global warming will especially strongly affect the health of earthlings.
Researchers from the United States have studied how the frequency of "humid heat" will change in different regions of the world in the 21st century. According to their forecasts, by the end of the century, many countries will be covered by it for the main part of the year. It is believed that staying at temperatures above 32 Celsius at 100% humidity is harmful to the human body. A related article was published in Environmental Research Letters.
In the last half century, meteorological records have been constantly updated (only in Moscow and only in 2017 this happened more than once), but until now, when assessing their effect on the future of humanity, such an important factor as humidity was not taken into account. Meanwhile, an increase in the average annual temperature on the planet by one degree leads to an increase in evaporation by several percent. Since 2/3 of the planet is covered with water, this increases the amount of precipitation, as well as the average humidity.
The authors of the new work decided to simulate how this humidity will change in regions that are threatened by rising temperatures. It turned out that a number of territories will arise in which humidity will be combined with temperatures of 32-25 degrees Celsius for the main part of the year, in some cases - more than 300 days a year. Such regions include Indonesia, Congo, northern South America, as well as Indochina and parts of southern China and western India.
Quite unexpectedly, it turned out that, according to the map in the article, humid heat will also be established where deserts and semi-deserts are now - for example, in the Sahel, in the south of the Sahara, in part of Mexico. This means that the local climate and wildlife will have to undergo a rapid transformation from desert to humid tropical. In addition, none of the temperate countries will be seriously affected by this phenomenon.
Map showing the expansion of regions dominated by humid and stifling heat throughout the year.
The authors reasonably note that high temperatures are tolerated much more difficult at high humidity than at low temperatures. In their opinion, the increase in the duration of the humid heat in these areas will pose a serious threat to the health of the local population. At the same time, they do not stop at how typical wet weather will become for the northern countries. Let us remind you that frost with high humidity (as in Murmansk or, to a lesser extent in St. Petersburg) is also perceived to be much more difficult than in dry air.
IVAN ORTEGA
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