peterdutoit on Nostr: As heat domes sit over Asia, Europe and the US, this is a critical piece of ...
As heat domes sit over Asia, Europe and the US, this is a critical piece of #ClimateLiteracy regarding #Heatwaves
“Overnight minimum temperatures are expected to reach new highs. This is concerning because repeated high night-time temperatures are particularly dangerous for human health because the body is unable to recover from hot days, leading to increased cases of heart attacks and death. Whilst most of the attention focuses on daytime maximum temperatures, it is the overnight temperatures which have the biggest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.
“We need the world to broaden its attention beyond the maximum temperature alone. In many locations where the maximum is reaching into the high 40°Cs and higher, the temperature may still be near 40°C at midnight. In these circumstances, the minimum temperature is more important for health and failing critical infrastructure during extreme heatwaves.”—John Nairn WMO extreme heat advisor.
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/heatwaves-show-importance-of-health-early-warnings-and-action-plans
“Overnight minimum temperatures are expected to reach new highs. This is concerning because repeated high night-time temperatures are particularly dangerous for human health because the body is unable to recover from hot days, leading to increased cases of heart attacks and death. Whilst most of the attention focuses on daytime maximum temperatures, it is the overnight temperatures which have the biggest health risks, especially for vulnerable populations.
“We need the world to broaden its attention beyond the maximum temperature alone. In many locations where the maximum is reaching into the high 40°Cs and higher, the temperature may still be near 40°C at midnight. In these circumstances, the minimum temperature is more important for health and failing critical infrastructure during extreme heatwaves.”—John Nairn WMO extreme heat advisor.
https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/heatwaves-show-importance-of-health-early-warnings-and-action-plans