The share of time that people have felt very strong heat stress has risen by 50%
Save time by listening to our audio articles as you multitaskTo measure heat exposure, we combined two large data sets. The Universal Thermal Climate Index produced by the’s Earth-observation programme, Copernicus, measures heat at hourly intervals, dividing the world into 865,000 grid squares. Thecombines data on air temperature and solar radiation with humidity and wind into a single composite “feels like” temperature measured in Celsius.
Although large swathes of Europe’s population have endured heat above 38°C this week, it remains exceptional. Over the past five years, the average European has experienced such heat for just three days a year. But elsewhere it is the norm: people outside Europe endure similar conditions for 65 days each year.
Extreme heat above 46°C is remarkably common, too. On average, it occurs for three days per year for each person on Earth. But the incidence is much higher in Africa and parts of Asia, particularly the Indian subcontinent. An average person living in these two continents has recently experienced such heat for 4.9 days a year, a 30% rise compared with 1980 to 1984.
High population growth in Africa and Asia means that heat stress is now affecting more people. The hottest countries have tended to grow the fastest since 1980. So the share of time that people have felt very strong heat stress has risen by 50%. Two-thirds of those who suffer extreme heat live in countries where average annual incomes are below $2,000, meaning many cannot afford air-conditioning. Europeans should spare a thought for them as they swelter in the sun.
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