Page 11 - Heatwaves

Climate change may make India, Indus Valley too hot for up to 2.2 bn: Study

Climate change could expose up to 2.2 billion people in India's Indus Valley and Pakistan to many hours of heat that surpass human tolerance by the end of the century, according to new study. The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that if global temperatures increase by 1 degree Celsius (C) or more than current levels, each year billions of people will be exposed to heat and humidity so extreme they will be unable to naturally cool themselves. Researchers from the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, Purdue University College of Sciences and Purdue Institute for a Sustainable Future in the US found that warming of the planet beyond 1.5 C above preindustrial levels will be increasingly devastating for human health across the planet. Humans can only withstand certain combinations of heat and humidity before their bodies begin to experience heat-related health problems, such as heat stroke or heart attack. As ...

Earth's warmest Aug saw 65 countries set record high temperatures: Report

Thirteen per cent of the Earth's surface, spanning 65 countries, experienced record high temperatures in August, while the rest of the world braved significantly higher temperatures compared to the 1951-1980 average, according to a new analysis conducted by an independent US-based non-profit organisation. Berkeley Earth, which focuses on environmental data science and analysis, said last month was the warmest August since records began to be kept in 1850, with "particularly warm conditions" prevailing in parts of India, Japan, North Atlantic, Eastern Equatorial Pacific, Northern South America, Central America, parts of Africa and the Middle East. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a US government agency, said on Thursday that 2023 witnessed Earth's hottest August in its 174-year climate record. The sizzling month also marked the northern hemisphere's warmest meteorological summer and the southern hemisphere's warmest meteorological winter on record, the NOAA

Extreme weather turns up the heat on long-term investment in agriculture

Rising global temperatures threaten to damage crops that rely on predictable weather, which will likely lead to higher food prices

Intense, frequent heatwaves measurably worsening air quality: WMO

Increasingly intense and frequent heatwaves, compounded by wildfires and desert dust, is measurably worsening air quality, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Putting heatwaves in the spotlight, the report showed that heatwaves in the US and Europe, triggering wildfires and accompanied by desert dust intrusions, respectively, both led to dangerous air quality in 2022, affecting human health and environment. It is not just high temperatures which are a hazard, but the impacts of resulting pollution, often overlooked, are just as pernicious, the 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, said. Air quality and climate are interconnected because the chemical agents affecting both are linked. This is because the substances contributing to climate change and degrading air quality are often emitted by the same sources. For example, fossil fuel combustion emitting carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO) can lead to t

Intensity of heatwaves worsen air quality due to climate change: WMO

The 2023 WMO Air Quality and Climate Bulletin, the third in an annual series, puts the spotlight on heatwaves to draw attention to the fact that it is not just high temperatures that are a hazard

India braces for driest August since 1901 amid intensifying El Nino

India is poised to experience the driest August since 1901 which, senior meteorologists say, is a clear result of intensifying El Nino conditions. Also, the monsoon this year may end up being the driest since 2015, which recorded a rainfall deficit of 13 per cent, they said. With a 32 per cent precipitation deficit in August so far and the prediction of only subdued rainfall activity over a large part of the country in the next three days, India is on track to record the driest August since 1901, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said, requesting anonymity. August receives 254.9 mm of rainfall, accounting for around 30 per cent of the precipitation during the monsoon season. India recorded a rainfall deficit of 25 per cent in August 2005, 24.6 per cent in 1965; 24.4 per cent in 1920; 24.1 per cent in 2009 and 24 per cent deficit in 1913, according to the IMD data. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said the primary reason for below-normal rainfall in August was El Nino

Heatwaves getting more deadly, frequent; old, ill, poor more vulnerable

Previous projections of heat-related mortality were mostly based on calculations that used one climate model over a specific period of time

Heatwaves endanger workers, reduce productivity: ILO's senior economist

Data from the UN's World Meteorological Organization reveals this July is set to be the hottest month ever recorded

Parts of national capital likely to receive moderate rainfall, says IMD

Delhi on Friday recorded a minimum temperature of 26.6 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal, and parts of the city are likely to receive moderate rainfall during the day, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The relative humidity was 85 per cent around 8:30 am. The national capital is likely to witness generally cloudy skies during the day and moderate rain is likely in parts of the city. The maximum temperature in the national capital is expected to settle at 35 degrees Celsius, the IMD said. Delhi's Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 71, in the 'satisfactory' category, around 8:40 am, System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR) data showed. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.

Global warming: An overheating planet requires extreme solutions

Rising causes of death would include not just heat itself but exposure to ground-level ozone, malaria, dengue, and West Nile virus

Nearly 200 mn under heat, flood advisories as US braces for severe storms

Nearly 200 million people in the United States, or 60% of the U.S. population, are under a heat advisory or flood warning or watch as high temperatures spread and new areas are told to expect severe storms. The National Weather Service said a dangerous heat wave began to scorch the Northeast and mid-Atlantic on Thursday and will continue into the weekend. Severe thunderstorms and flash floods are possible for parts of the Northeast and South, New England and South Florida. Meanwhile, the string of record-breaking temperatures will persist for the Southwest and Midwest. It's (hitting) all the big cities, said Bob Oravec, lead forecaster with the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center. That's why the population (affected) is so high. Scientists have long warned that climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, will lead to more and prolonged bouts of extreme weather. The prediction for continued excessive heat comes a day after the World Meteorological ...

Even moderate temperature rise may cause increased hospital visits: Study

Even moderate temperature increases, for example night-time temperatures starting at 18.4 degrees Celsius, can lead to increased hospital visits and death in older adults and those with cardiorespiratory conditions, according to a study conducted in Canada. Researchers from the University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University in Canada have refined and expanded a method of data collection to assess the health impacts of heat waves and poor air quality. The new method, described in the journal Environmental Research, will help municipalities make a strong case for choosing which mitigation and adaptation measures to pursue to effectively respond to climate changes. The options could include planting more trees for shade, investing in emergency warning programmes, or planning to have more staff available to run ambulances, support hospitals and long-term care homes. "Much of the financial burden to mitigate the impacts of hot temperatures is left to municipalities, but the

Extreme temperature pushes airlines to shed fuel, limit passengers

High temperatures make air less dense, reducing engine performance and the amount of lift produced at a given speed

Scientists say record heat numbers paint the story of a warming world

The summer of 2023 is behaving like a broken record about broken records. Nearly every major climate-tracking organisation proclaimed June the hottest June ever. Then July 4 became the globe's hottest day, albeit unofficially, according to the University of Maine's Climate Reanalyzer. It was quickly overtaken by July 5 and July 6. Next came the hottest week, a tad more official, stamped into the books by the World Meteorological Organization and the Japanese Meteorological Agency. With a summer of extreme weather records dominating the news, meteorologists and scientists say records like these give a glimpse of the big picture: a warming planet caused by climate change. It's a picture that comes in the vibrant reds and purples representing heat on daily weather maps online, in newspapers and on television. Beyond the maps and the numbers are real harms that kill. More than 100 people have died in heat waves in the United States and India so far this summer. Records are crucial for

Madrid, Rome shut down tourist places as temperature rises to 40 degrees

The high heat in the continent is a result of an anti-cyclonic high pressure system, named 'Cerberus' by the Italian Meteorological Society

Greenpeace brings Delhi govt's attention to mitigating impact of heatwaves

Greenpeace India on Friday wrote to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the lack of action and urgency in mitigating the impact of extreme heat episodes on vulnerable people in the national capital. Greenpeace India members also staged a demonstration at the Delhi Secretariat, demanding that the city government implement a comprehensive heat action plan (HAP) by June-end. The letter to the chief minister said despite the Union health ministry's warning about the significant health and socio-economic impact of heatwaves, the city government has displayed indifference towards this issue. HAPs are the primary policy response to economically damaging and life-threatening heatwaves. They prescribe a number of activities, disaster responses and post-heatwave response measures to decrease the impact of heatwaves. Considering the devastating impacts faced by more than half of Delhi's population during the 2022 heatwaves, we emphasised the urgent need for the Delhi government to relea

As deaths due to heatwave rise in India, here's how you can stay safe

Heat stroke requires immediate medical attention as it can be fatal if not treated promptly

Over 90% heatwave deaths occurred in 5 states between 2018 and 2022

Number of heatwave days in India expected to rise in coming years

Beijing breaches 40 deg C for first time in 9 yrs as heatwaves return

Last week, national weather bureau issued an alert for heat stroke, almost a fortnight earlier than in previous yrs, as new record temperatures for the month of June assailed cities across north China

As temp soars in India, officials dispute claims of 100 heat-related deaths

The people most at risk from heat waves are the poor, the old and very young, and those in isolated rural areas