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Climate Change: Two Billion People Faced Extreme Heat In 92 Days –Report

BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
The latest report compiled by Climate Central indicated that one in four people, approximately 25 percent of the global population or over two billion persons worldwide faced extreme heat daily between June, July, and August 2024.

News Rider reports that the climate change-driven temperatures were linked to burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal, and human activities. 

Climate Central is a non-advocacy, non-profit science and news organisation, providing authoritative information to help the public and policymakers make sound decisions about climate and energy.

The report reads: "Between June and August, two billion people were exposed to more than 30 days of health-threatening temperatures strongly influenced by climate change. 

"More than four billion people faced unusual temperatures at least three times more likely caused by climate change on August 13, the peak of the global heat.

"During this record-breaking season, when 72 countries broke their heat record for the June to August period, few urban areas escaped the impacts of carbon pollution, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

"The average person experienced 17 extra days of risky heat around the world because of climate change, representing a potential risk to global health."

It was also revealed that 72 countries experienced their hottest summer this year since 1970, a situation that was attributed to climate change. 

The report highlighted that 180 cities in the Northern Hemisphere experienced at least one extreme heatwave from June to August, due to carbon pollution, mainly caused by burning coal, oil and gas.

Vice President for Science at Climate Central, Andrew Pershing disclosed that no region, country, or city is safe from the deadly threats posed by burning fossil fuels. 

He stated that high temperatures that were clearly influenced by climate change jeopardised the health of billions around the world during the past three months. 

The report quantified the impact of climate change on temperatures and estimated the number of people affected by the extreme conditions. 

It also provided detailed data on heat exposure at global, regional, local levels, and in about 1,200 cities.

But to estimate the risks of heat to human health, researchers looked at days in which temperatures were significantly hotter than the historical record — the risky heat days. 

Temperatures on the months under review were hotter than 90 percent that was observed in a local area over the period of 1991 to 2020. It represented a minimum mortality threshold at which heat-related health risks climbed statistically.
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