A team of climate scientists from the Woodwell Climate Research Center in the United States, in partnership with the Environmental Change Institute in the United Kingdom, discovered that if the Earth’s average temperature continues to increase by more than 1.5 ºC compared to the current level, heat waves will become intense enough to kill humans in different parts of the globe.
“We could have a very extreme heat wave that deviates substantially from historical norms, exceeds this limit and causes much more mortality than would be expected”said Carter Powis scientist and state leader to New Scientist.
This would occur mainly in places where there is no adaptation to extreme heat and where air conditioning, for example, is rare.
What does the study say?
Through climate models, research indicates that humanity is approaching the thresholds of humidity necessary for human survival, known as wet bulb temperature. This limit would be six hours of exposure up to 35°C.
The hottest parts of the world already experience limited heat extremes and, under continued moderate warming, parts of all continents except Antarctica will see a rapid increase in their extent and frequency. Therefore, exceeding 1.5°C of global warming will have serious consequences for life on Earth.
Heat impacts
For decades, scientists have sought to identify the heat limit that the human body, in everyday situations, can withstand without the need for any type of cooling.
The effects of extreme heat hinder the human body’s ability to maintain its internal temperature at 36.5°C. Cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death associated with heat, as, with high temperatures, the heart and blood vessels are overloaded, which can increase an imbalance in the body and lead to heart attack or ischemia, for example.
