Extreme heat can have devastating impact on humans. (Representational Pic)
Climate change has emerged as one of the most pressing global challenges, with rising temperature being a prominent consequence. The Earth’s climate is undergoing unprecedented shifts primarily caused by human activities, particularly the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, industrial processes, and agricultural practices have all contributed to the accumulation of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, creating a greenhouse effect that traps heat within the Earth’s atmosphere. As a result, the planet’s average temperature has been steadily climbing over the past century.
Iran’s Persian Gulf International Airport experienced record-breaking heat on Sunday due to a rare combination of extremely high temperature and abundant atmospheric moisture that created a heat index.
According to Colin McCarthy from US Stormwatch, the Iran airport reported a heat index of 152 degrees Fahrenheit (66.7 degrees Celsius).
Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 152°F (66.7°C) today at 12:30 pm.
Those are intolerable conditions for human/animal life. pic.twitter.com/R3RJ9pf4DC
— Colin McCarthy (@US_Stormwatch) July 16, 2023
“Persian Gulf International Airport in Iran reported a heat index of 152 degrees Fahrenheit (66.7 degrees Celsius) today at 12:30 pm. Those are intolerable conditions for human/animal life,” he said in a tweet posted on July 16.
To calculate how hot or cold the weather feels, meteorologists use equations that factor in air temperature and other atmospheric variables. One of the most widely-used methods for estimating the impacts of hot weather is called the ‘heat index’, which combines air temperature and humidity.
The shocking temperature was seen in Iran after searing inland heat clashed with humid air flowing off the very warm waters of the Persian Gulf.
At the time mentioned by Mr McCarthy, the temperature at the Persian Gulf International Airport reached 40 Degrees Celsius, with a relative humidity of 65 per cent, according to NOAA data. This created an apparent temperature of 66.7 degrees Celsius.
Extreme heat can have devastating impact on humans. According to vaccine alliance GAVI, it leads to dehydration and if a person doesn’t drink enough water to replace that lost through sweating and urination, the blood starts to thicken, making it more prone to clotting, which increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Exposure to high temperature can also amplify existing health problems, making older people and those with chronic conditions at particularly high risk.
According to a Bloomberg report, July is already on track to be the hottest ever year, with 10 of the hottest days in history.
Simultaneous heat waves are suffocating the US, much of Europe and parts of Asia, while El Nino intensifies in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic waters off Florida hit an unprecedented 32.2 degrees Celsius. China has already recorded its highest-ever temperature of 52.2 degrees Celsius in Sanbo township.
Dr Akshay Deoras, from the University of Reading’s meteorology department, has warned of “more frequent and intense” extreme weather events if global temperatures continue to rise at their current rate. Dr Deoras also said that Earth will become an “inferno” if the heatwaves don’t spur on governments to tackle global warming.