Now Reading: Study finds hot days may gain 4 extra hours of extreme heat by 2100
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Study finds hot days may gain 4 extra hours of extreme heat by 2100
Study finds hot days may gain 4 extra hours of extreme heat by 2100
A study published in Nature Climate Change projects that a hot day by 2100 could have an extra four hours of extreme heat if high emissions continue. Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University…
The Story in Brief
A study published in Nature Climate Change projects that a hot day by 2100 could have an extra four hours of extreme heat if high emissions continue. Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory analysed global hourly data from 1981-2023 and future projections. They found that non-hot days could gain three additional hot hours.
Low and middle-income countries will be worst hit, accounting for over three-quarters of current and projected heat exposure. More than 80% of land areas saw an increase of 62 extra heat hours per decade since 1981. The authors said hourly assessments capture heat missed by daily metrics, aiding health planning.
The Indian Opinion
This study shifts focus from daily averages to hourly heat bursts, a nuance often lost in climate discourse. The claim that low-income countries bear disproportionate exposure is not new, but the projected sixfold rise in affected population under high emissions is stark. The lazy narrative that adaptation alone can suffice ignores that those most at risk lack resources. A key test: will India’s heat action plans start incorporating hourly warnings, not just daily alerts? The number to watch is the actual increase in emergency room visits during flash heat events.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
