In a new study, a team from King's College London studied global warming and the effects of scorching heat on the human body.
Climate change is already leading to increased periods of extreme heat around the world. In 2024, at least 1,300 Hajj participants in Saudi Arabia died when the temperature reached 51.8 degrees Celsius, Mir24 reports.
A new study has shown that the greatest risk of extreme temperatures is found in North Africa and South Asia. In the period from 1994 to 2023, life-threatening levels of heat and humidity were observed on 2% of the Earth's land. In the future, this figure may triple to 6%, which is an area comparable to the total area of the United States of America.
People over the age of 60 are particularly vulnerable to weather conditions. According to scientists, the heat and humidity that are dangerous for them will cover one third of the entire planet's landmass in the future. Staying outdoors in adverse conditions can lead to fatal heat stroke, even if a person is hiding in the shade, Agence France-Presse reports.
To date, the largest number of deaths from extreme heat has been recorded in Europe: more than 70 thousand in 2003, 60 thousand in 2022, and more than 47 thousand in 2023. In Asia, serious effects of rising temperatures have also been recorded. The heat wave in India and Pakistan in 2015 caused several thousand deaths.
WHO estimates that up to half a million people die from the heat in the world every year. Moreover, these data may be underestimated - the real figure, according to experts, is 30 times higher.
According to NASA, 2024 was the hottest year in history. Global temperatures exceeded the base level of the 20th century by 1.28 degrees Celsius. Experts have linked the warming to the greenhouse effect caused by carbon dioxide and methane emissions. The climate is also influenced by natural processes. So, the El Nino phenomenon was partially responsible for the heat.
