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Friday 26 July 2024

U.N. asks nations to better prepare, cool the vulnerable as

'extreme heat epidemic' breaks records

Continued from Front El Nino years — a natural
warming of the equato-
Nearly half a million people rial Pacific that changes
a year die worldwide from weather worldwide — but
heat related deaths, far the last El Nino ended in
more than other weather April.
extremes such as hurri- Field said these high tem-
canes, and this is likely an peratures "underscores the
underestimate, a new re- seriousness of the climate
port by 10 U.N. agencies crisis."
said. "Unfortunately people are
"Billions of people are fac- going to die and those
ing an extreme heat epi- deaths are preventable,"
demic -- wilting under in- said Kristie Ebi, a public
creasingly deadly heat health and climate pro-
waves, with temperatures fessor at the University of
topping 50 degrees Celsius Washington. "Heat is called
around the world," Guterres the silent killer for a reason.
said. "That's 122 degrees Children cool themselves off in a public fountain in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, July 25, 2024. A People often don't know
Fahrenheit and halfway to heat wave warning was issued in Seoul as temperatures soared 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees they're in trouble with heat
boiling." Fahrenheit). until it's too late."
The dire warnings came Associated Press "At some point, the accu-
after a barely noticeable weather extremes. walking in scorching heat. "Many things are being mulated heat internally be-
respite in back-to-back But officials said most work Earlier this year, India's pro- done, but too little, too comes too much, then your
record global heat. will have to be done by longed heatwaves resulted late," he said. "The problem cells and your organs start
The European climate serv- countries, with the U.N. in the deaths of at least 100 is that climate change is to warm up," Ebi said.
ice Copernicus calculated offering aid and coordi- people. However, health running faster than all the The "big driver" of the cur-
that Tuesday's global aver- nation, especially when experts say heat deaths measures that are now be- rent heat is greenhouse gas
age temperature was 0.01 it comes to beefing up are likely undercounted in ing put in place to fight it." emissions, from the burn-
Celsius (0.01 Fahrenheit) weather warning systems. India and potentially other Before July 3, 2023, the hot- ing of coal, oil and natu-
lower than Monday's all- If countries adopt the Unit- countries. test day measured by Co- ral gas, Buontempo said.
time high of 17.16 degrees ed Nations heat-fighting Last year, the United States pernicus was 16.8 degrees Those gases help trap heat,
Celsius (62.8 degrees Fahr- recommendations, "these had its most recorded heat Celsius (62.2 degrees Fahr- changing the energy bal-
enheit), which was .06 de- measures could protect deaths in more than 80 enheit) on August 13, 2016. ance between the heat
grees Celsius hotter (0.1 3.5 billion people by 2050, years, according to an As- In the last 13 months that coming in from the sun and
degrees Fahrenheit) than while slashing emissions sociated Press analysis of mark has now been beat- that escaping Earth, mean-
Sunday. and saving consumers $1 Centers for Disease Con- en 59 times, according to ing the planet retains more
All three days were hotter trillion a year," Guterres trol and Prevention data. Copernicus. heat energy than before,
than Earth's previous hot- said, citing a U.N. Environ- The death certificates of Humanity is now "operating he said.
test day in 2023. ment Programme estimate. more than 2,300 people in a world that is already Other factors include the
"We are not prepared," the Better heat-health warn- mentioned excessive heat, much warmer than it was warming of the Pacific by
U.N. report said. ing systems in 57 countries including 874 deaths in Ari- before," Copernicus Direc- El Nino; the sun reaching
Guterres urged countries of could save 98,314 lives per zona. tor Carlo Buontempo said. its peak cycle of activity;
the world to adopt several year, the report said, based Deadly heat is not new, but "The steady drumbeat of an undersea volcano ex-
proposals aimed at reduc- on World Health Organiza- scientists say it has been hottest-day-ever records plosion; and air with fewer
ing heat deaths, starting tion and World Meteoro- amplified in scale, frequen- and near-records is con- heat-reflecting particles
with help to cool and care logical Organization esti- cy and duration with cli- cerning for three main rea- because of marine fuel pol-
for the most vulnerable mates. mate change. sons. The first is that heat lution regulations, experts
people — the poor, elderly, "Crippling heat is every- Extreme heat, wildfires, is a killer. The second is said.
young and sick. where, but it doesn't affect floods, droughts and ever that the health impacts of The last 13 months have
The U.N. also called for bet- everyone equally," Gu- more fierce hurricanes are heat waves become much all set heat records. The
ter heat wave warnings, terres said. "Extreme heat symptoms and "we need to more serious when events world's oceans broke heat
expanding "passive cool- amplifies inequality, in- fight the disease," Guterres persist. The third is that the records for 15 months in a
ing," improved urban de- flames food insecurity and said. "The disease is the hottest-day records this row and that water heat,
sign, stronger protections pushes people further into madness of incinerating year are a surprise," said along with an unusually
for outside workers, as well poverty." our only home. The disease Stanford University climate warm Antarctica, are help-
as greater efforts to tackle More than 1,300 people is the addiction to fossil fu- scientist Chris Field. ing push temperatures to
human-caused climate died during this year's an- els. The disease is climate Field said high tempera- record level, Buontempo
change that's worsening nual Haj pilgrimage after inaction." tures usually occur during said.q