A new study has revealed that the worst-case scenario warnings regarding the consequences of global warming could already be occurring. Tara Pilkington looks into what this means.
Climate scientists have recently identified thousands of previously undetected outbreaks of deadly weather combinations in parts of Asia, Africa, Australia, South America and North America, as well as several hotspots along the US Gulf Coast.
The number of potentially fatal humidity and heat events has doubled between 1979 and 2017, and according to a study published in Science Advances, these events are set to increase in both frequency and intensity in the coming years if no action is taken.
The findings of this study have come as a surprise to scientists who had previously projected that these extreme weather events would not occur until later in the century, primarily in locations where humidity is already a known problem.
The reason that humidity is often seen as more dangerous than dry heat alone is because it can affect our ability to sweat, which is our bodies life-saving natural cooling system. In ordinary dry conditions, the body is able to sweat out any excess heat through the skin, where it then evaporates away. However, under humidity, the ability for our sweat to evaporate is effected and can even halt it completely in extreme conditions. If the body’s core overheats, organs can quickly begin to fail and lead to death within hours.
Climatologist at the Union of Concerned Scientists in the US, Kristina Dahl has said this new paper shows: “how close communities around the world are to the limits”.
