The heatwave persists, proving deadly in numerous global regions.
Escalating Fatalities Amidst Scorching Temperatures
In Pakistan, fatalities have surged as temperatures reached approximately 40 degrees Celsius this week. India remains firmly in the grasp of its lengthiest recorded heatwave, with the death toll continuing to rise. In the Middle East, extreme heat was cited as the cause of 1,300 Hajj pilgrim deaths earlier this month.
Heat-Related Deaths on the Rise
According to Copernicus, the European earth observation program, and the World Meteorological Organization, deaths linked to hot weather in Europe have increased by 30 percent over the past two decades. In 2022, nearly 62,000 people died from heat-related causes on the continent, while the WMO estimates that 490,000 annual deaths worldwide between 2000 and 2019 were due to heat.
Climate Change’s Impact
A 2021 Nature paper revealed that over a third (37 percent) of heat-related deaths were attributable to climate change, emphasizing the need for greater mitigation and adaptation. The duration of exposure to extreme temperatures is a key factor in the associated risk.
Mapping the Duration of Heat Exposure
This week’s climate graphic aims to map heat in a way that communicates the duration of exposure to high temperatures in various areas. Counting the number of days an area has exceeded a given temperature threshold seems a suitable approach.
Constructing the Heat Map
Global maximum temperature data was sourced from the Copernicus data hub. Daily maximum temperatures were calculated from hourly data, and a temperature threshold (starting at 30°C) was set. The number of days each pixel area exceeded this threshold was then counted for each of the 20 days of data. The script was repeated for increasingly higher thresholds (35°C, 40°C, 45°C, etc.).
The final visualization and styling were done in QGIS and Illustrator. Unsurprisingly, as the temperature threshold increases, the areas consistently exceeding it shrink. However, the number of places still regularly surpassing 40°C and even 45°C is surprising.
Increasing Health Risks
Factors like humidity and access to protection also influence the dangers associated with high temperatures. However, climate change will further increase the frequency and duration of heatwaves, exacerbating health risks.
“The deadly heatwaves we’re witnessing globally clearly indicate that our climate is warming to dangerous levels,” warns Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London.
Noteworthy Developments
- Denmark is poised to implement the world’s first carbon tax on agriculture, charging cattle farmers for greenhouse gas emissions.
- Lufthansa will pass the cost of Europe’s new emissions rules onto passengers via surcharges.
- At the Breakthrough Energy Summit in London, Bill Gates urged caution regarding concerns about the power consumption of new generative AI systems.