Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and even freezing conditions all dwarf the total number of deaths caused each year by extreme heat, according to findings from the US National Weather Service. The government agency found that 190 people died from heat in 2021, well above the 10-year average of 135. The next deadliest weather event was flooding, which claimed 146 lives that year and an average of 98 last year. decade. Other hazardous weather included sleet, cold weather and tornadoes, which were far deadlier in 2021 than the 10-year average. Extreme heat events, evident in this summer’s record highs around the world, are likely to be more frequent and more severe due to the climate crisis. And other extreme weather events, such as floods, hurricanes and wildfires, are fueled by global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions mainly from the burning of fossil fuels. In July, nearly every region in the U.S. was hit by scorching heat, putting more than 150 million people under heat warnings and advisories. More than 350 new daily high temperature records were set, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Last week, unusually high temperatures in the Pacific Northwest led to at least 20 possible heat-related deaths. But that pales in comparison to last year’s “heat dome” event in the Pacific Northwest, which killed more than 800 people in the US and Canada. The heatwave, where the usually temperate region saw the mercury soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), was thought to be 150 times more likely due to the climate crisis. Extreme heat can cause serious health problems when the body becomes severely dehydrated or loses the ability to cool itself. In minor cases, the heat can lead to fainting or cramps – but in severe cases, extreme heat can cause heat stroke as the body quickly reaches temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius. Heat stroke can be fatal without emergency medical treatment. Some of the people most vulnerable to heat illness are the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and those with underlying conditions such as heart disease. Additionally, the heat may affect some communities more than others. Outdoor workers, poorer people and the homeless are at higher risk of heat-related health problems, the World Health Organization (WHO) notes. A 2021 study found that in the U.S., poorer neighborhoods and neighborhoods with more Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations were generally warmer than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods, which can place an additional heat burden on those communities. Beyond the heat, climate experts are also warning of dangerous increases in air humidity or humidity. “There are two drivers of climate change: temperature and humidity,” V “Ram” Ramanathan, a climatologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego and Cornell University, told The Associated Press. The humidity, combined with the temperature on the thermometer, creates the “apparent temperature” or what it feels like outside. In addition, high heat and humidity can increase the “wet bulb” temperature – a measure of how much the body can cool. Scientists have warned that liquid-bulb temperatures above 95 F (35 C) are “unsurvivable” for humans who experience it for at least six hours. While cases of such high liquid bulb temperatures are still rare, they are becoming more common around the world, according to Nasa. Large areas of the US are facing a warmer-than-average August, according to the monthly outlook from the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. Blistering temperatures returned to the central US this week, with temperatures hovering around or above 38C from Texas to South Dakota. Much of the central and northeastern US is under a heat advisory, as high temperatures combined with humidity will make it feel above 90 F (32 C) or 100 F across the northeastern, southeastern, and central plains. Conditions in southwest Iowa could be as high as 45 degrees on Saturday as the heat and humidity moves through. On Thursday, both Boston, Massachusetts and Hartford, Connecticut broke their daily temperature records as the mercury touched 37 degrees Celsius and 36 degrees Celsius respectively.
