New research led by scientists at European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) has revealed how the frequency, severity and duration of heat stress have accelerated and intensified across the globe since around 1970, affecting health and livelihoods around the world.
The study, which was published on June 22 in the journal Nature Climate Change, provides a first comprehensive global-scale analysis of heat stress with climate change, offering new insights for public health, climate adaptation strategies and policy planning.
According to ECMWF, heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related deaths and involves the build-up of body heat due to exposure to high temperatures, often combined with other factors such as high humidity.
Heat can exacerbate underlying cardiovascular, respiratory and mental health conditions, especially affecting, for example, vulnerable people, outdoor workers and urban residents.
Rebecca Emerton, lead author and senior scientist at ECMWF, said, “Our research shows a clear, climate-driven intensification of heat stress across the globe. Compared to the 1970s, heat stress is now more severe, more frequent and longer lasting.
“As a result, more people worldwide are exposed to hazardous heat, driven not only by population growth but by our changing climate. These findings highlight the need to both limit future warming and integrate heat stress into climate risk assessments, early warning systems and policy and planning to protect human health.”
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