Results found: 48

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Olympic athletes could face a tough opponent: Brutal Paris heat

March 10, 2024

NBC News

The Olympics are planned for the same stretch of days as a catastrophic 2003 heat wave. Continued global warming has only increased the odds of another.

India Seasonal Outlook

March 1, 2024

Goverment of India

The India Meteorlogical Department March April May (MAM) seasonal outlook expects a greater number of heatwave days than average over most parts of the country, with exceptions.

Shaping a Heat Resilient City​ – Singapore

March 1, 2024

Singapore Urban Redevelopment Authority

As a city-state with limited land, forward planning is important to ensure that Singapore remains liveable and sustainable. Climate change effects such as rising temperatures pose a threat to our city’s liveability. To strengthen Singapore's heat resilience and combat the effects of heat stress, the public, private and academia sectors have leveraged research and innovation to design and plan for a cooler city for many generations to come.

WHO launches Repository of interventions in environment, climate change and health

February 29, 2024

World Health Organization (WHO)

Today the World Health Organization launched a comprehensive Repository of systematic reviews on interventions in environment, climate change and health. The Repository aims to assess the current state of evidence and to provide a list of systematic reviews on interventions in all major areas of environment, climate change and health (ECH).

Climate Pulse, C3S’s new monitoring tool

February 28, 2024

Copernicus

The record high global average temperatures observed in 2023 have shown the importance of closely monitoring our climate. To make climate monitoring more intuitive and available to everyone, the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S*) presents Climate Pulse, a new interactive application that gives a concise and precise picture of the near-real time status of our climate.

Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas (C3S)

February 20, 2024

Copernicus

The Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas, launched by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S*) on 20 February, is set to be an important new resource for policymakers looking to formulate effective climate policy and for other users needing to visualise and analyse climate change information. This new tool from C3S, which builds on the Interactive Atlas of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC-IA), provides authoritative information on recent past trends and projected future changes for a wide range of key climate variables. Let’s take a closer look.

Empowering health professionals as leaders in climate action

February 14, 2024

Health Care Without Harm

Health professionals possess a diverse and expansive role, with the power to influence policy, challenge social norms, and drive transformative change. Drawing from a rich history of advocacy, they are uniquely positioned to address pressing issues through the lens of public health and disseminate critical information to the broader public.

B.C. report says climate change brings health risk, as doctor fears ’colossal harms’

February 13, 2024

Vancouver Sun

Communities across B.C. need to prepare for a climate-related health crisis like the deadly 2021 heat dome every year, according to the lead contributor to a report on health risks associated with climate change.

¿Cómo enfriar a Montevideo para enfrentar las olas de calor? / How to cool Montevideo during heat waves?

February 11, 2024

El Pais

Varios expertos consultados para esta nota creen que Montevideo puede transformarse en una ciudad mejor preparada para enfrentar los impactos futuros de las olas de calor. La base debe incluir tres elementos básicos: más verde, más sombra, más agua. “No alcanza con poner un florerito”, opina Nagy.

La nueva estrategia para enfrentar las olas de calor: una medida ante las altas temperaturas (España) / The new strategy to address heat waves in Spain

February 9, 2024

Mundiario

Spain’s government responding to the unstoppable advance of the climate crisis and its effects on public health, is taking significant measures to reform heat wave alert systems. The increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, concerns healthcare services about the negative effects of global warming on the population.

¿Se dará descanso médico a personas afectadas por golpes de calor en Lima? / Will there be medical leave for heat stroke in Lima?

February 8, 2024

La República

The Servicio Nacional de Metereología e Hidrología (Senamhi) warned about temperatures in Lima and Callao that had not been experienced in more than four decades. These temperatures explain the intensity of the heat felt in the streets, vehicles, and homes, increasing the risk of heat stroke, and therefore threatening the health of many people. Under these circumstances, La República consulted on the possibility of obtaining a medical leave from EsSalud for people affected by this climatic phenomenon. Read more to know the answer.

Temperatura en Tumbes llega a los 44º C y los niños son afectados por golpe de calor / Temperature in Tumbes reaches 44º C and is affecting children

February 8, 2024

Infobae

In the first five weeks of 2024, approximately 300 children between 0 and 10 years old were treated in health centers due to acute stomach infections and severe dehydration. Tumbes is going through a heat wave and people are depending on bottled water as a safe water source, due to the lack of access to clean water. The price for this valuable resource is increasing, putting disadvantaged families at risk of water-borne infections while trying to avoid dehydration in the extreme heat.

Excessive Heat in Australia: Understanding Causes and Impacts

February 7, 2024

Weatherzone

Excessive heat is not just a scorching summer’s day. It's a meteorological event characterised by temperatures that significantly exceed the average for a region. These heat conditions pose serious threats to both the environment and human health.

Multiple city hubs, dispersed parks found to keep metro areas cooler

February 7, 2024

Cornell University

Metropolitan areas with multiple city centers and dispersed green spaces mitigate extreme heat more effectively than those with one dominant city, an analysis by Cornell city planning scholars finds.

Heat Islands in Buenos Aires / Islas de calor – Estas son las esquinas porteñas donde la temperatura es un infierno

February 6, 2024

La Nación

The map of heat islands in Buenos Aires and surrounding areas that we put together for this article is very eloquent. The red areas, with high floor temperatures, differ from the blue areas, where the climate is much more pleasant, even in the middle of a heat wave. This last Thursday, when the stress on the corner of Flores was unbearable, at the intersection of Avenida del Libertador and San Martín de Tours, in Palermo, the weather was much more pleasant. A fresh wind climbed from the river and the green corridors of jacarandas and tipas provided shade that relieved the heaviness. The sensation is confirmed by the data: according to a study, the average soil temperature in that area is 21°C, 20 degrees less than in the corner of Flores.

Mumbai’s spendings will be double of New York’s to manage urban heat generated due to concretisation

February 6, 2024

The Times of India

Mumbai will spend more than double of New York's to manage urban heat generated due to massive concretization as the summer of 2023 has underscored the need to mitigate the impacts of record-breaking heat, particularly in cities around the world subject to the urban heat island (UHI) effect (increase in heat due to man-made concretization) which causes them to experience significantly hotter temperatures than in neighbouring rural areas, warns a latest international study.

Combatting Urban Heat: The Impact of Irrigation on Temperature and Humidity in Beijing

February 5, 2024

Environmental Health

Urban heat island (UHI) phenomenon, a term that describes urban areas’ tendency to be warmer than their surrounding rural areas, is a growing concern, especially in densely populated cities like Beijing. As urbanization continues to increase, so does the temperature in these urban areas, causing discomfort and potential health risks for the inhabitants. However, recent research has revealed a promising solution to this issue in the form of urban irrigation.

Wildfires cause huge loss of life in Chile amid heatwaves in South America

February 5, 2024

World Metereological Organization (WMO)

The Chilean government declared a state of emergency and a period of national mourning. More than 100 people were reportedly killed and the death toll was expected to rise further as rescuers sought to reach worst hit areas in the Valparaíso region, including around the coastal town of Viña del Mar

Converging Climate Risks Interact to Cause More Harm, Hitting Disadvantaged Californians Hardest

February 2, 2024

Inside Climate News

Extreme heat and wildfire smoke can each increase the risk of cardiac and respiratory disease and death. But recent studies show that exposure to heat and particle pollution together can be far more dangerous than exposure to either alone. And emerging evidence suggests that the fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, from wildfires may be far more harmful than PM2.5 emissions from other sources like car exhaust. Now, it’s clear that PM2.5 from smoke, combined with heat, is a particularly harmful combination.

How mapping ‘heat islands’ can help cities prepare for extreme heat

February 1, 2024

NPR

Climate change, driven primarily by burning fossil fuels, pushed temperatures so high last year that scientists were astounded when 2023 became the hottest year on record. Communities like Oklahoma City are now preparing for a future with extreme temperatures by understanding which areas are the hottest.

Climate change has killed 4 million people since 2000 — and that’s an underestimate

January 30, 2024

Grist

In the early 2000s, as climate denialism was infecting political institutions around the world like a malevolent plague, an Australian epidemiologist named Anthony McMichael took on a peculiar and morbid scientific question: How many people were being killed by climate change? McMichael’s research team tallied up how many lives had been lost to diarrheal disease, malnutrition, malaria, cardiovascular disease (a proxy for heat-related illness), and flooding, worldwide, in the year 2000. The researchers then used computer modeling to parse out the percentage of those deaths that were attributable to climate change. Climate change, they estimated, was responsible for 166,000 lives lost that year.

GHHIN welcomes Alejandro Saez Reale as new Technical Support Unit Coordinator

January 30, 2024

Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN)

Alejandro is a specialist in climate action and urban planning, with more than 10 years of experience in project management, evidence generation and stakeholder engagement. His recent research and work experience has mainly focused on urban heat islands, heat waves and their impact on cities. He joins the Network team as part of the WMO-WHO Joint Office for Climate and Health in Geneva.

Cooling Shelters in Buenos Aires / Red de Refugios Climáticos de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires

January 30, 2024

Agencia de Protección Ambiental

 In order to strengthen the adaptation strategies against extreme temperatures and heat waves, Subsecretaría de Ambiente in Buenos Aires, Argentina created the city's Climate Shelter Network, providing spaces where residents can cool off and take shelter for a moment during hot days. Please note that there is no medical care in these spaces. If you have symptoms such as dizziness, headache, dehydration, nausea, etc., go to the nearest health center.

Sydney’s first pop-up cooling hub draws a crowd as the mercury soars

January 26, 2024

The Sydney Morning Herald

Socially disadvantaged people are more exposed to extreme heat, sleeping on the street, in cars or tents, or in overcrowded and substandard housing. How to keep people cool on a hot day is a problem that communities, health organisations, governments and councils are having to grapple with.

Extreme heat can be risky during pregnancy. How to look after yourself and your baby

January 24, 2024

The Conversation

Extreme heat presents a major public health threat. It can be especially dangerous for people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and people who have reduced physiological ability to adapt, such as older adults and those with certain medical conditions. Pregnant people are also more vulnerable, with evidence showing exposure to extreme heat is associated with increased risks for the baby.

Water recycling could be key to cooling Sydney’s west

January 23, 2024

The Lighthouse, Macquarie University

A new research project is poised to deliver the formula to safely recycle water into gardens and parklands at scale, addressing both urban heat and sustainability challenges in western Sydney.

New report assesses which of London’s properties and neighbourhoods are most vulnerable to heat in the wake of the hottest year ever recorded

January 22, 2024

ARUP

Landmark report produced by Arup maps London's heat risk across homes, neighbourhoods and essential properties in the wake of climate change, informing the Mayor of London’s plans for resilience.

One billion people left dangerously exposed to heat stress by gaps in climate monitoring

January 22, 2024

The Conversation

Climate change is pushing humid heat dangerously close to the upper limits of what people can survive. Parts of the world are on track for conditions beyond the limits of human tolerance. Yet our new research published in One Earth shows poor weather station coverage across the tropics leads to underestimates of heat stress in cities. This means global climate change assessments probably overlook the local impacts on people.

New series of educational videos on climate change and health from the ENBEL project

January 21, 2024

ENBEL project

The ENBEL project has developed a series of short educational videos on climate change and health topics to give more information on how climate change effects our health and what we can do about it. We have aimed to create a tool that can be used for training and introduction to key topics within health and climate change.

Global food production at risk as rising temperatures threaten farmers’ physical ability to work – new study

January 19, 2024

Loughborough University

he research – which brings together Loughborough University, US, and Australian universities – predicts that by the end of the century labour productivity could fall as low as 40% in key food production regions like Pakistan and India.

By the end of the century climate change may have claimed over 2 million lives in European cities, but policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions could save most of them

January 17, 2024

Europe, as a collective of diverse nations, faces a formidable adversary in climate change. The heat-related death toll is set to rise significantly if we do not commit to robust mitigation and adaptation strategies. The path ahead is clear—moving forward without strong environmental policies will lead to greater inequality and a significant loss of lives.

Centering Health in a Just Transition – Paving Way for Health-based Climate Actions in Global Climate Negotiations

January 17, 2024

PLOS Global Public Health

As the dust settles on the outcomes of the recently held international climate negotiations – the 28th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, UAE, a prevailing sentiment of dissatisfaction looms over the global community, echoing the urgency of addressing climate change. The collective efforts and commitments fall short of the immediacy demanded by the escalating climate crisis. However, amid the apparent shortcomings, a significant point emerged—the agreement on a just transition away from fossil fuels. Amid the climate discourse, the term “Just Transition” has taken center stage, representing a commitment to incorporate social justice in the economic and environmental discourse. As we navigate through the aftermath of COP28, it becomes imperative to critically examine the nuances and implications of this phrase – Just Transition, recognizing its potential as a transformative force in shaping an equitable future.

5 breakthroughs on climate and health at COP28 – and what comes next

January 15, 2024

ClimaHealth

Health has long been absent from UN climate summits — a major oversight given climate change is already affecting the health of people and communities around the world. The health impacts of climate change range from air pollution to heat waves, infectious diseases, food and water insecurity, mental health, and more. As 2023 shattered climate records, the COP28 UN climate conference in Dubai in December 2023 shined a spotlight on the health impacts of climate change by hosting a dedicated ‘Health Day’, supported by a series of health initiatives to help drive transformational change for health and healthcare.

WMO confirms that 2023 smashes global temperature record

January 12, 2024

World Metereological Organization (WMO)

The annual average global temperature approached 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels – symbolic because the Paris Agreement on climate change aims to limit the long-term temperature increase (averaged over decades rather than an individual year like 2023) to no more than 1.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Six leading international datasets used for monitoring global temperatures and consolidated by WMO show that the annual average global temperature was 1.45 ± 0.12 °C above pre-industrial levels (1850-1900) in 2023. Global temperatures in every month between June and December set new monthly records. July and August were the two hottest months on record.

India Takes Action to Address Mounting Heat Risks in Cities

January 12, 2024

NRDC

Intense heat waves are becoming more frequent and severe across India, threatening public health, electricity grid reliability, agricultural yields, amongst other impacts. As these heat risks linked to climate change intensify, government leaders are taking steps to improve preparedness through strengthening of of national heat preparedness efforts and city-level Heat Action Plans (HAPs). Drawing lessons from Ahmedabad’s lifesaving HAP, authorities in India are ramping efforts up to improve extreme heat warning systems and emergency response planning.

The need for green and sustainable healthcare amid climate challenges

January 11, 2024

Open Access Government

Each week seems to highlight the critical importance of sustainable healthcare solutions, to ready the service for undeniable changes in our climate. Having recognised the emerging threat and defining its Net Zero target timeline, the NHS is now in a pivotal phase for turning ambition into action

2024 Resolution for OSHA: Propose A Workplace Heat Standard

January 8, 2024

NRDC

NRDC and 32 other organizations across the country said as much to the agency in a joint comment letter in December about the small business review. We urged OSHA to stay the course on heat protection measures that have been on worker wish lists for decades—including specific water, shade, rest, training, and emergency response protocols. Here are four other elements OSHA should include in its New Year’s resolution to keep the U.S. workforce healthy and safe from heat.

Digital evidence synthesis tools (DEST) for climate and health: survey

January 7, 2024

London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

With this survey we aim to get an overview of the various DEST developments, practices and user experiences, which will inform further workshops in the research project. To meet the objectives of this study, in these workshops we will discuss and analyse in depth the main barriers and facilitators to wider uptake of evidence synthesis tools for climate and health, helping us map the needs for DEST use that is currently unmet.

It’s High Time to Protect Farmworkers From Heat-Related Illness and Death

January 7, 2024

Climate Checkup

In November, the Senate admitted defeat in the effort to pass a new version of the Farm Bill, and instead passed a stopgap funding measure to maintain the status quo -- until they try again later in 2024 or in 2025opens in a new tab or window. The Farm Bill is a massive piece of legislation that extends beyond farm programs and has far-reaching implications across society, including our food assistance programs. It is typically reauthorized every 5 years.

How the Dire Health Implications of Climate Change Are Unfolding Globally

January 6, 2024

Inside Climate News

From our collaborating partner “Living on Earth,” public radio’s environmental news magazine, an interview by producer Aynsley O’Neill with Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the CEO of Seed Global Health and the World Health Organization special envoy for climate change and health. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Dying in the Fields as Temperatures Soar

December 31, 2023

Inside Climate News

Scores of California farmworkers are dying in the heat in regions with chronically bad air, even in a state with one of the toughest heat standards in the nation.

Request for Public Nominations for Authors and Scientific/Technical Inputs for the First National Nature Assessment

December 29, 2023

Federal Register

The U.S. Department of the Interior, on behalf of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), is soliciting nominations for authors and scientific/technical inputs for the First National Nature Assessment (NNA1). Refer to the NNA1 Draft Prospectus for further information on the scope, topics, and overarching themes for the report. NNA1 will adhere to the Global Change Research Act, Information Quality Act, and Evidence Act requirements for quality, transparency, and accessibility as appropriate for a Highly Influential Scientific Assessment. NNA1 will also adhere to USGCRP standards and guidelines requiring it to be a policy-neutral and policy-relevant product.

Living in Heat that Kills

December 18, 2023

Earth Data-NASA

Every summer, up to 600 people die in Miami-Dade County, FL, from extreme heat exposure. This means that roughly 8% of deaths each summer in the area are from illnesses caused or made worse by weather with a heat index of 86°F or higher (the heat index is how hot it feels to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the actual air temperature). To save lives, Miami-Dade County commissioned a NASA-funded study in 2021 that uses the depth and one-of-a-kind perspective of NASA Earth science data along with census and local health department data to determine which communities and people are most or disproportionately at risk for extreme heat illness.

India World Cup underscores climate impact on cricket

December 18, 2023

The Third Pole

The cricket world watched in awe on 7 November as Australia’s Glenn Maxwell made history. While playing Afghanistan during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s Cricket World Cup, the batsman became the first Australian man to achieve a double century in a one-day international match. This is especially impressive considering Maxwell collapsed in the middle of his innings, his body spasming from debilitating muscle cramps.

These are the ways rural Canadians are more vulnerable to climate change

December 16, 2023

CBC

The "Canada in a Changing Climate" synthesis report, released late last week, found among its key conclusions that climate change is harming Canadians' health; the country's aging infrastructure, from buildings to roads to the electrical grid are at high risk from extreme weather from climate change; food and natural resource production is also especially vulnerable to climate change impacts; and Canada isn't doing enough to adapt.

HeatWatch app to be trialled over summer as temperatures soar

December 14, 2023

The University of Sydney

With temperatures predicted to soar this summer a University of Sydney team and community partners are piloting HeatWatch, an app to help users calculate their personalised heat health risk.

Universal Health Coverage Day 2023

December 12, 2023

World Health Organization (WHO)

On Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2023, global partners and communities are marking the campaign under the overall theme of " Health For All: Time for action". In WHO, we're calling for specific actions focused on health systems resilience and here's why: The world is changing in fundamental ways that have profound implications for people’s health and well-being. As countries struggle to emerge from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they also must confront increasingly complex challenges that threaten humanity’s very existence such as the climate crisis, environmental degradation, unplanned urbanization, new and expanding large-scale conflicts. Against this context, building equitable and resilient health systems is even more crucial to ensure health for all. Yet, progress on UHC has stagnated since 2015 and stalled since the COVID-19 pandemic, and over half of the world’s population is not fully covered by essential health services. On UHC Day, WHO calls on governments to urgently invest in the resilience of health systems to drive progress towards UHC and deliver health for all in a turbulent world. It’s time for action!

Sharing the health benefits of climate solutions can boost public support for change

December 12, 2023

George Mason University

Highlighting the health relevance of climate change and the health benefits of climate solutions can generate support for climate action, a study from George Mason University researchers has found.

Sydney maps microclimates to combat urban heat

December 12, 2023

Smart Cities World

The study will map air temperatures throughout the summer while investigating the thermal performance of assets like trees and parks

Hottest Survivable Temperatures Are Lower Than Expected

December 12, 2023

Scientific American

A recent paper published in Nature Communications found that the primary methodology to measure deadly heat — called “wet-bulb global temperature” — is inadequate, resulting in artificially low mortality estimates from extreme heat events.

Australia’s silent killer

December 12, 2023

ABC Health & Wellbeing

Welcome to summer. Over the next few months, we’ll endure heatwaves in different parts of the country. Extreme heat can be life-threatening for some people — and not necessarily the ones you expect.

How newborns suffer due to effects of climate change

December 11, 2023

Nation

The far-reaching consequences of climate change are now extending their grip onto the most vulnerable members of our society: newborns and infants. A recent study suggests that rising temperatures associated with climate change may negatively impact breastfeeding, with potential repercussions for infant nutrition and health.

Who’s vulnerable to extreme heat and how can we protect them?

December 6, 2023

High Horizons

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), heatwave events have increased sixfold since the 1980s, driven by the naturally occurring El Nino and exacerbated by human-induced warming from greenhouse gases. Current projections say we’re 1.2oC warmer than pre-industrial levels, and global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C between 2030 and 2052. These extreme heat events are having a disproportionate impact on already vulnerable populations – including pregnant women, newborns, and children.

Heat, Health and GHHIN featured in Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda

December 6, 2023

GHHIN

The Global Heat Health Information is proud to have contributed to the development of Outcome 2 of the Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, launched this week at COP28. 

Hear from Associate Professor of Practice in Planetary Health at Monash, Angie Bone, on her hopes for COP28 here:

December 4, 2023

Monash University

Monash is deeply committed to urgent, collective action on climate change. COP28 is a critical moment in this journey and our focus will be on sharing our expertise, influencing policy makers and convening change makers in our shared pursuit of a more sustainable, just world for all.

The Climate and Us – New BBC film series features heat

December 4, 2023

The Global Climate & Health Alliance

The Climate and Us is a series of short branded films produced for the the Global Climate and Health Alliance by the BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions. Divided into three Chapters, the series takes you on a cinematic journey across the world to explore the many ways in which a changing climate is impacting people’s health and wellbeing

Heat and air pollution – a joint threat for health

December 4, 2023

Exhaustion

“It is essential to look at several environmental factors at the same time, they do not affect humans in isolation”, researchers conclude when it comes to the understanding of heat and air pollution.

41 funders, partners endorse new guiding principles for financing climate and health solutions to protect health

December 2, 2023

World Health Organization (WHO)

Guiding Principles respond to low- and middle-income countries’ calls to mobilize finance to save lives now and in the future as the climate crisis threatens global health.

GCF, UNDP and WHO join forces to ramp up climate health support for developing countries

December 2, 2023

World Health Organization (WHO)

The Green Climate Fund (GCF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched an ambitious new initiative that will ramp up support for developing countries to mitigate and respond to the impacts of climate change on health in 14 countries in Africa, Asia and Southeastern Europe.

New perspective on limits of survival and liveability in extreme heat

December 1, 2023

Heat and Health Research Incubator at The University of Sydney.

Record-breaking heatwaves made headlines during 2023, raising questions about how humans will survive and function in a warming world. A new study suggests the outlook may be even worse than expected, challenging recommended thresholds for survivability in the heat.

Climate solutions are already in our nature

November 30, 2023

Monash University

As the world gets warmer and more greenhouse gases are released, nature’s ability to perform important ecosystem functions – such as sequestering carbon, regulating the Earth’s temperature, and providing clean air and water – is jeopardised.

Heatwaves and The City

November 30, 2023

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Human health stands on the frontline in the face of a warming world surpassing historical rates. Climate change threatens to undo decades of progress in achieving better health and well-being, especially in the most vulnerable communities. A new multi-agency report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) highlights that despite scientific knowledge and resources to rebalance this equation, they are not adequately accessible or utilized. This documentary case study offers insight into the impacts of heatwaves on the city of Athens and its residents. It underscores the effectiveness of combining early warning systems in the short term and nature-based solutions in the long term as crucial strategies for adapting to climate change.

The Future of Extreme Heat in Cities: What We Know — and What We Don’t

November 29, 2023

The CityFix

The past year registered record-shattering global temperatures. People around the world are already witnessing epic heat waves, wildfires and drought at 1.1 degrees C (2 degrees F) of global warming, compared to pre-industrial averages. With current policies putting the world on a trajectory for 2.5 degrees C to 2.9 degrees C (up to 5 degrees F) of warming by 2100, this year’s sweltering heat is just a glimpse of the future ahead.

Some states act to protect residents from extreme heat — with a new focus on young people

November 27, 2023

Stateline

After two years of record-breaking heat that brought a surge of deaths and health emergencies, several states have enacted or are considering measures designed to protect residents — with a new focus on younger people whose vulnerability is rising with the temperatures.

Record heat disproportionately hurts communities of color. Unprecedented climate justice federal funding could help

November 16, 2023

Yale Climate Connections

Extreme heat is the No. 1 climate-related cause of death in the U.S. Race and location also matter in determining how much things are heating up. On National Public Radio’s Code Switch, journalist Shereen Marisol Meraji pointed out: “Mother Nature may not discriminate, but people do,” succinctly describing the disproportionate impact of extreme and urban heat on communities of color as a result of federally mandated racist housing policies.

National Medicines Symposium 2023

November 15, 2023

Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care

Urban Heat Island Map

November 15, 2023

Climate Central

New Climate Central analysis shows where urban heat is most intense in 44 major U.S. cities accounting for nearly one-quarter of the U.S. population.

Calling all healthcare professionals! Healthcare Climate Stories at COP28

November 13, 2023

Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education

Climate Bulletins

November 8, 2023

Copernicus

Through our monthly maps, we present the current condition of the climate using key climate change indicators. We also provide analysis of the maps and guidance on how they are produced.

NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP-CMIP6)

November 3, 2023

NASA Center for Climate Simulation

The NEX-GDDP-CMIP6 dataset is comprised of global downscaled climate scenarios derived from the General Circulation Model (GCM) runs conducted under the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) and across all four “Tier 1” greenhouse gas emissions scenarios known as Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). The CMIP6 GCM runs were developed in support of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC AR6). This dataset includes downscaled projections from ScenarioMIP model runs for which daily scenarios were produced and distributed through the Earth System Grid Federation. The purpose of this dataset is to provide a set of global, high resolution, bias-corrected climate change projections that can be used to evaluate climate change impacts on processes that are sensitive to finer-scale climate gradients and the effects of local topography on climate conditions.

Launch of the 5th call for short films by the Health for All Film Festival!

November 1, 2023

WHO

The 5th call opens from 1 November 2023 until 31 January 2024. The fifth Health for All Film Festival (HAFF) official selection of about 90 short films will be presented to the public in April 2024 via the WHO YouTube channel and WHO Health for All Film Festival homepage. Winners from this selection will be announced by mid-May 2024. As for each previous edition, we invite public health institutions from around the world, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), communities, activists and students in public health, film schools, and other relevant domains to submit their original short films championing a health issue. Independent filmmakers, production companies, and TV broadcasters are also invited to participate.

Cornell Prof. Mitigates Extreme Urban Heat Island Effect With Trees

October 25, 2023

The Cornell Daily Sun

Researchers predict that by 2050, the number of days over 90 degrees Fahrenheit in New York City will triple. The world is expected to see a climb in heat-related hospitalizations and emergency department visits — especially in urbanized areas. Prof. Daniel Katz, integrative plant science, has conducted extensive research on how to mitigate extreme heat in urban environments, specifically through increasing tree coverage in cities like New York.

Hope amid the heat: Volunteers like Fatema Khatun help neighbors through sweltering heatwaves in Bangladesh

October 18, 2023

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Global Heat Impacts and Solutions Survey

October 17, 2023

Group on Earth Observations (GEO)

GEO is on a mission to empower cities globally to tackle the health challenges brought on by extreme heat. But we can’t do this without you - share your voice and insights on our Global Heat Impacts and Solutions Survey. Your quick five-minute input can help pave the way toward a cooler planet and mitigate future deadly heat crises.

Heat stress and the European heatwave of 2023

October 3, 2023

Claudia Di Napoli

Dr. Claudia Di Napoli of ECMWF looks back at the extreme heat in parts of Europe this summer and describes her work to develop forecasts of heat stress and other weather-related health hazards. ECMWF has been producing a historical dataset of heat stress based on the ERA5 reanalysis. The ERA5-HEAT dataset spans back to the 1940s and provides a gridded record of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI).

Extreme Heat In Central And South America

September 28, 2023

Roop Singh

Heat governance scholar Ladd Keith’s collaboration with NOAA

September 27, 2023

JOHN DOS PASSOS COGGIN, MELISSA DEFRANCESCO, GILLEN CURREN, AND AMBER LIGGETT

How can we protect pregnant women from rising temperatures?

September 7, 2023

Dr Gloria Maimela Wellcome

Dr Gloria Maimela, Director of Climate and Health at Wits RHI in South Africa, outlines the impacts of excessive heat on pregnant women – and shares some of the ways research can provide solutions.

Modeling extreme heat in a changing climate

September 5, 2023

Oriana Chegwidden Jeremy Freeman

If it wasn’t clear before the summer of 2023 that climate change is raising temperatures, it better be clear now. This past July broke the record for the hottest month ever measured. And that was before a life-threatening heat dome boiled large swaths of the US Midwest in August. As extreme heat becomes commonplace, people need to know when and where it will occur. But modeling and predicting heat is complicated. Temperature on its own doesn’t tell the whole story. For example, when it’s hot you sweat, and the water evaporates to cool you down. But if there’s too much moisture in the air (high humidity), that cooling effect can stop working. The amounts of sunlight and wind also matter (the former heats you up, and the latter cools you down). These parameters vary from minute to minute. And they vary geographically, often at fine spatial scales, especially within cities where human activity and infrastructure trap heat. We want to help planners and the public navigate this complicated science by producing actionable data that will make it easier to understand the risks. As part of a collaborative project with The Washington Post, we developed a new dataset modeling extreme heat under a changing climate. We built on a foundation of academic work, aiming to combine the best pieces of several existing methods and datasets to produce something new, albeit with several assumptions and approximations. And we’re making all of our data, methods, and code fully public. In this explainer we describe how and why we developed the new dataset, and provide details on our methods, assumptions, and results.

Vacancy: Website Content Management Assistant, WMO-WHO Joint Office for Climate and Health

August 30, 2023

WMO-WHO Joint Office for Climate and Health

New web app shows heat-attributable mortality in Spain

August 17, 2023

A new online application calculates daily mortality due to heat in Spain, using methodology is based on the March 2023 paper Heat-attributable Mortality in the Summer of 2022 in Spain The application uses the daily mortality data for Spain from the All-cause Daily Mortality Monitoring System (MoMo) and the average summer temperature (June, July and August) in Spain calculated from the reference stations defined by the Spanish State Meteorological Agency (AEMET).

View app >

Medications for chronic diseases affect the body’s ability to regulate body temperature, keep cool

August 15, 2023

Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine

Medications to treat various chronic diseases may hinder the body’s ability to lose heat and regulate its core temperature to optimal levels. The loss of effective thermoregulation has implications for elderly people receiving treatment for illnesses like cancer, cardiovascular, Parkinson’s disease/dementia and diabetes, particularly during hot weather, according to a review by a team of scientists from various institutions in Singapore.

US Launches National Dashboard to Track Heat-Related Illness

August 9, 2023

US HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE), in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), launched a first-of-its-kind online information portal called the Heat-Related Illness EMS Activation Surveillance Dashboard (“EMS HeatTracker”), which maps emergency medical services responses to heat-related illness across the country. The tracker will help public health officials ensure that outreach and medical aid reach the people who need it most and help decision-makers prioritize community resilience investments.

Expert Q&A: Why can heat death counts differ so much for the same location?

July 20, 2023

Global Heat Health Information Network

Statement – Without preparation the heat can be deadly

July 18, 2023

WHO Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge

Experts discuss scaling-up of Heat Early Warning Systems

July 4, 2023

Global Heat Health Information Network

In February 2023, the Global Heat Health Information Network brought experts from around the world together in Washington DC to discuss the scaling up of Heat Health Early Warning Systems, in line with the targets of the global Early Warning Systems for All initiative. This report contains insights, recommendations, and best practices emerging from the discussion, highlighting the importance of collective action to protect vulnerable populations from the impacts of heatwaves.

The Power of Fans: Study finds simple way to slash AC costs without compromising comfort

June 20, 2023

Maddie West GHHIN

A recent study has found that individuals can enjoy the same level of personal cooling while significantly reducing both their energy bills and their carbon footprint - simply by raising their AC’s temperature and turning on a fan.

Solutions at Scale: Advancing Action on India’s Heat Risks

June 6, 2023

Vijay Limaye, Prima Madan, Abhiyant Tiwari, Ashish Jindal

Watch: Extreme Heat Research Webinars

May 31, 2023

Global Disaster Preparedness Center

Creating Cool and Resilient Communities: Integrating Plans for Urban Heat Mitigation

May 30, 2023

Maddie West, Ladd Keith GHHIN

A new guide developed with support from the U.S. NOAA Climate Program Office’s Extreme Heat Risk Initiative presents policy makers with how-to guidance on integrating their plans for the purpose of mitigating urban heat hazard in the built environment.

Blog: India’s Leadership Advances Heat-Health Protections

February 19, 2023

Vijay Limaye, Abhiyant Tiwari, Ritika Kapoor NRDC

Covering an infant stroller in hot weather? Here’s what you need to know.

February 13, 2023

James Smallcombe, Ollie Jay University of Sydney

Blog: What will a shift to El Niño mean for heat planners?

February 3, 2023

John Nairn, WMO Extreme Heat Advisor

Climate change made record breaking early season heat in Argentina and Paraguay about 60 times more likely

December 21, 2022

world weather attribution

A large area centred around the central-northern part of Argentina, and also southern Bolivia, central Chile, and most of Paraguay and Uruguay, experienced record-breaking temperatures during two consecutive heatwaves in late November and early December 2022.

Pilot project builds equitable response to extreme heat in four cities

December 14, 2022

NOAA

NOAA and partners in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Miami, and Charleston, South Carolina are launching an 18-month project to help communities pinpoint local impacts of extreme heat. The pilot project, “Building Equitable Resilience to Extreme Heat,” will support state and local initiatives designed to reduce the negative health effects of extreme heat events, especially for disproportionately affected populations.

WMO urges caution in naming heatwaves

December 13, 2022

WMO

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) plays a central role in the global coordination of the naming of extreme weather events. At SERCOM-2 (Oct 2022), WMO Members considered the practice of naming heatwaves, and expressed caution in adopting or promoting this practice.

Hazard Planners Aren’t Planning for Heat Hazards in Parts of United States

December 7, 2022

Juanita Constible NRDC

The main takeaway of a new NRDC analysis of how states in the southeastern United States address extreme heat in their federally mandated hazard mitigation plans (HMPs) indicates that extreme heat does not get the attention it deserves from state programs charged with reducing risks from natural hazards.

Over 20,000 died in western Europe’s summer heatwaves, figures show

November 24, 2022

Sandra Laville The Guardian

Advancing Global Heat Resilience & Climate-Friendly Cooling

November 14, 2022

Vijay Limaye and Prima Madan NRDC

At a COP 27 side event today, leading international voices underscored the dangers of extreme heat worldwide and offered a range of climate-friendly cooling solutions that can keep people safe without making the climate problem itself even worse.

First Global Ambassador for Heat Action named at COP27

November 10, 2022

Arsht-Rockefeller

The global need for smart heat–health warning systems

October 29, 2022

Tiantian Li, Chen Chen, Wenjia Cai The Lancet

2022 Lancet Countdown on Climate Change and Health Released

October 26, 2022

The Lancet

Vulnerable populations – the elderly and children under 1 year of age - faced 3.7 billion more life-threatening heatwave days in 2021 than annually in 1986-2005, putting them at acute risk of heat stress, heat stroke, and other adverse physical and mental health manifestations. The 2022 Report tracks the relationship between health and climate change across five key domains and 43 indicators, revealing that the world is at a critical juncture.

New Report from UNICEF – Protecting Children from the Escalating Impacts of Heatwaves

October 24, 2022

UNICEF

Already, around 559 million children are exposed to high heatwave frequency and around 624 million children are exposed to one of three other high heat measures - high heatwave duration, high heatwave severity or extreme high temperatures. The report provides yet more evidence that children are on the front lines of the climate crisis.

The Impact of Heat Waves and Heat Action Plans in South Asia

October 18, 2022

Rohit Magotra URBANET

Heat waves have become a global phenomenon, but in South Asia the situation is worsening due to climate change. Rohit Magotra (GHHIN contributor and SAHHIN lead) describes the silent climate disaster and the importance of heat action plans in India and beyond.

Heatwaves account for some of the deadliest disasters and are intensifying: warn OCHA, IFRC

October 10, 2022

OCHA

Released a month ahead of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27), Extreme Heat: Preparing for the heatwaves of the future says that, with climate change making heatwaves ever more dangerous, aggressive steps must be taken now to avert potentially recurrent heat disasters.

New project to support decision-making to protect people from indoor heat health risks

September 26, 2022

GHHIN

A new project will synthesize evidence and support decision-making to protect people from overheating in indoor environments.

How India’s lattice buildings cool without air con

September 20, 2022

Feza Tabassum Azmi BBC

For centuries, India’s architecture featured intricate lattice structures. Now, as modern architects search for better ways to keep buildings cool, it’s making a comeback.

California Lessons for Federal & State Workplace Heat Rules

September 14, 2022

Juanita Constible NRDC

California’s recent record-breaking heat was particularly brutal for the workers who walk for miles, lift heavy loads, sweat in oppressively hot uniforms, and endure bosses who care more for their profits than their people. School cafeteria workers, farmworkers, delivery drivers, and others across the state experienced unhealthy temperatures that left them faint, in the hospital, or worse. These are just a few examples of the kind of preventable harm workers face every year from heat. But they’re particularly infuriating coming from California, which is one of only five states in the country with workplace heat stress protections. What’s going wrong?

Air conditioning has a climate problem. New technology could help

September 10, 2022

Cool Coalition

Last week, Californians got a reminder of one of the most vexing paradoxes of global warming. With temperatures well over 110 degrees Fahrenheit in some regions on Tuesday night, hundreds of thousands of the state’s residents received beeping text alerts to notify them that the power grid, straining under the weight of millions of air-conditioning units, was about to collapse. Save power now, the text warned, or face rolling blackouts.

New research projects explore impacts of heatwaves in low and middle-income countries

September 7, 2022

Global Disaster Preparedness Center, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN

Climate change: More studies needed on possibility of human extinction

September 1, 2022

BBC News

Catastrophic climate change outcomes, including human extinction, are not being taken seriously enough by scientists, a new study says.

New podcast series ‘Rethinking Heat in the City’

August 31, 2022

Cool Infrastructures Karachi Urban Lab

The Karachi Urban Lab’s new podcast series Rethinking Heat in the City is now out with its first episode – Beyond Heatwaves. In this episode, Dr Elspeth Oppermann emphasises the increasing urgency of discussing urban heat and its differential impact on urban dwellers.

China heatwave: Sichuan residents flee heatwaves and power cuts underground

August 25, 2022

Melissa Zhu BBC News

Residents in China's southwestern provinces are taking creative measures to deal with a record heat wave that has seen temperatures exceed 40C(104F).

Extreme weather in China highlights climate change impacts and need for early warnings

August 24, 2022

WMO

Extreme weather – record-breaking heatwaves, severe drought, and deadly rainfall – have battered China since June. The summer of extremes – in China as in Europe – has underlined the importance of the WMO community’s commitment to Early Warning and Early Action and reinforced the need for the ongoing campaign to provide Early Warnings for All in the next five years.

Helping cities adapt to higher temperatures

August 24, 2022

European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency

The team behind LIFE ASTI designed a set of urban heat island (UHI) forecasting systems to help three Mediterranean cities cope when the heat is on.

Climate change will cause more African children to die from hot weather

August 23, 2022

The Conversation Cathryn Birch, John Marsham, Sarah Chapman, University of Leeds

New tool for health checks during extreme heat events

August 21, 2022

National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health

New resource from Canada guides non-experts on conducting in-person and remote health checks during extreme heat events. Available in English, French and coming soon in simplified Chinese and Punjabi.

US Inflation Reduction Act supports more equitable access to indoor cooling

August 17, 2022

NRDC Juanita Constible, Joe Vukovich

The groundbreaking Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden just signed into law, contains several provisions that will support clean, affordable residential cooling.

Cool Roofs Can Help Offset Rising Energy Demand in India

August 8, 2022

NRDC Vijay Limaye, Prima Madan, Kim Knowlton

As climate change intensifies around the globe, Indians are facing life-threatening heat with increasing frequency. Scientists estimate that moderately and extremely hot temperatures caused nearly 47,000 premature deaths in India in 2015.

New checklist guides non-experts through health checks during extreme heat events

August 5, 2022

National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health

Extreme heat events affect different people in different ways, and some people are at higher risk of experiencing heat-related illness if they do not have air conditioning. One way to reduce the public health impacts of extreme heat events is to check in regularly with susceptible people to see how they are coping. However, not everyone knows who is at most risk, how to recognize heat-related illness, or what to do in risky situations. This tool from the NCCEH was designed to help support people doing heat checks by providing all they key information and guidance in a 5-page package. This tool has been co-developed with Dr. Glen Kenny and his heat stress research group at the University of Ottawa.

“Heatwaves create difficulties for breastfeeding” – Tajikistan steps up for babies’ health

August 1, 2022

WHO Europe

A country with hot summers and vast rural areas, Tajikistan has had to fine-tune its approach to promoting breastfeeding and protecting infants’ health. WHO highlights the country’s experience during World Breastfeeding Week 2022 (1–7 August).

Why more heatwaves endanger our health and ability to work

August 1, 2022

Natalie Grover Horizon Magazine

Exposure to high temperatures combined with physical activity can lead to physiological problems that affect the ability to work.

Two Heart Medications Tied to Greater Heart Attack Risk During Very Hot Weather

August 1, 2022

Yale School of Public Health

For people with coronary heart disease, beta-blockers can improve survival and quality of life, while aspirin and other antiplatelet medications can reduce the risk of a heart attack.

BBC Series Explores Life at 50°C

July 30, 2022

BBC

What is life like on the climate change frontline? For the millions of people who have to live with extreme levels of heat day in and day out? Life at 50 Degrees is a new six part BBC series which explores the impact of climate change on people across the globe.

Opinion: Can Humanity Handle the Heat?

July 28, 2022

Project Syndicate

Recent record temperatures of more than 40º Celsius in the United Kingdom, and outbreaks of wildfires in several European countries, again highlight the challenges posed by ongoing climate change. The need for robust, scalable systems to counter extreme heat is clear – but developing and implementing them will require political will as well as technological innovation.

How changes in thermal stress will impact lives in the future

July 28, 2022

Lobelia

Building on historical climate data and future climate projections, the Thermal Stress Story Hub carries users on an interactive journey to understand how thermal stress will evolve in the future and impact lives around the world. Currently under development, the Story Hub consists of interactive maps and dynamic stories to support users to understand how thermal stress will impact their lives. The stories provide data from 1979 to the present day and offer projections up to the year 2100, under the RCP 8.5 global warming scenario.

Series: Work at 45°C in India

July 28, 2022

SELCO Foundation

SELCO Foundation presents a five part series exploring the linkages between Built Environments and Quality of Livelihoods for marginalised communities and workers in India.

US launches Heat.gov with tools for communities facing extreme heat

July 26, 2022

NOAA

The interagency National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) has launched Heat.gov, a new website to provide the public and decision-makers with clear, timely and science-based information to understand and reduce the health risks of extreme heat. Heat.gov will provide a one-stop hub on heat and health for the nation and is a priority of President Biden’s National Climate Task Force and its Interagency Working Group on Extreme Heat.

Living Through India’s Next-Level Heat Wave

July 25, 2022

The New Yorker

In hospitals, in schools, and on the streets, high temperatures have transformed routines and made daylight dangerous.

New Report: A milestone in UK climate history

July 22, 2022

A new event summary from the Met Office shows that the UK’s recent extreme heat was far more intense and widespread than previous comparable heatwaves. This was the first time 40°C has been recorded in the UK.

UK heatwave piles further pressure on stretched NHS services

July 20, 2022

BMJ

NHS leaders have urged the government to provide resources to improve buildings and infrastructure after many trusts were forced to cancel appointments and change their working patterns in response to the heatwave that has gripped the UK this week.

WMO has no immediate plans to name heatwaves

July 19, 2022

WMO is aware of current interest in developing heatwave ranking and naming systems. As the UN specialized agency responsible for weather, climate and water, the WMO exercises a leadership role in coordinating globally recognized extreme weather naming conventions. The WMO Services Commission is therefore currently considering the advantages and disadvantages of naming heatwaves.

UK heatwave: Extreme heat an increasing threat to health without rapid transition away from fossil fuels

July 19, 2022

Lancet

The extreme heat in the UK and across Europe is threatening peoples’ health, warn health organisations today. Heat vulnerability in the UK has been steadily rising, with an ageing population and increase in underlying health conditions, and without adequate measures to adapt heat-related deaths are expected to rise to around 7,000 each year by the 2050s.

Activation of EAP for Heatwaves in southern Kyrgyzstan: 2,100 households to be protected from extreme heat

July 19, 2022

Anticipation Hub

The Early Action Protocol (EAP) for Heatwaves of the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent was triggered on 17 July 2022, based on an official bulletin from Kyrgyzhydromet, the local meteorological office. A 7-day forecast (18-24 July 2022) had indicated that temperatures in Osh, Jalal-Abad and Batken provinces in southern Kyrgyzstan would exceed critical thresholds for 3 and more consecutive days, starting from 22 July 2022. Upon declaring that pre-agreed critical thresholds had been reached, IFRC released approximately 200,000 euros from its Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to the Kyrgyzstan Red Crescent to immediately launch a heat wave awareness-raising campaign and provide life-saving advice to the general public.

Climate change at work

July 19, 2022

Grist / NRDC

America’s workers are facing increasingly dire conditions.

WMO-WHO Joint Press Conference on Heatwave in Europe

July 19, 2022

United Nations

“In the future, these kind of heatwaves are going to be normal. We will see stronger extremes. We have pumped so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. We haven’t been able to reduce our emissions globally” said Petteri Taalas, WMO Secretary-General.

Heat-related deaths top 1,100 in Spain, Portugal amid heat wave and wildfires

July 19, 2022

ABC News

During the record-breaking heat wave in Western Europe, Spain and Portugal have reported at least 1,169 heat-related deaths, according to each country's ministry of health.

Heat Action Day Raises Awareness of Heat Risk Across the Globe

July 1, 2022

Heat Action Day 2022 on June 14th was organized by the IFRC, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre and Global Disaster Preparedness Center. Around the world National Societies and other organizations joined to raise awareness of extreme heat! Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies performed coordinated heat wave flash mobs in public spaces to raise awareness of heat risks and share simple ways to #BeatTheHeat. In addition to National Societies, the European Emergency Circle, African News Agency, Beyond Plastic Nigeria, Punjab University, Christian Fellowship and Care Foundation, and Kathmandu University Youth Red Cross Circle organized heat wave flash mobs around the world.

New Heat and Health Research Incubator

July 1, 2022

University of Sydney

Professor Ollie Jay (GHHIN Management Committee member) and Associate Professor Ying Zhang (Deputy Director) from the University of Sydney have launched a multidisciplinary initiative dedicated to developing evidence-based solutions for the health impacts of extreme heat & hot weather, as we learn to adapt to a hotter world.

Strengthening Preparedness for Extreme Heat in India

July 1, 2022

GHHIN

Nodal officers from all 36 Indian states came together June 9-10 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat State, to share knowledge on heat and public health and learn first hand about Ahmedabad’s pioneering heat action plan. The workshop was organized by Government of India’s National Programme on Climate Change and Human Health, the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar, United Nations Environment Program, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Government of Gujarat, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Good practices for addressing extreme heat at the municipal level were discussed by over 100 local elected representatives, civil society leaders, and local residents at a workshop June 3rd in Jodhpur. The event, hosted by Mahila Housing Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council focused on identifying local opportunities to strengthen preparedness and response to extreme heat. The city of Jodhpur is working to develop its own heat action plan, cool roof installations, and other adaptation measures that can achieve lifesaving benefits.

WHO Health and Climate Change Urban Profiles

July 1, 2022

As part of the WHO monitoring programme on health and climate change, WHO launched the Health and Climate Change Urban Profiles involving six pilot cities.

What is a Heat Dome? An atmospheric scientist explains the weather phenomenon

June 22, 2022

The Conversation

A heat dome occurs when a persistent region of high pressure traps heat over an area. The heat dome can stretch over several states and linger for days to weeks, leaving the people, crops and animals below to suffer through stagnant, hot air that can feel like an oven.

New Map Tracks State Heat Protections for Workers

June 13, 2022

NRDC

A new map released today and produced by NRDC tracks efforts to establish state-level heat safeguards while workers wait for federal ones.

As Heat Kills in India, Action Plans Save Lives

June 3, 2022

Swagata Yadavar Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Red Cross / GHHIN Heat Research Awardees Announced

June 1, 2022

Global Disaster Preparedness Center

The Global Disaster Preparedness Center of the American Red Cross, the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, and the Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN), launched this research grant program, which aims to increase knowledge on heatwaves and their impact on people, especially in low and middle-income countries. In total there are 15 awardees from 12 countries.

New US Climate and Health Outlook

June 1, 2022

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Climate Change and Health Equity (OCCHE) launched the first installment of a new public information series called the Climate and Health Outlook (Outlook). This new Outlook series connects weather forecasts to health resources to create actionable data that saves lives and reduces illness and health risks associated with climate-related hazards like extreme heat.

New Heat Action Platform

June 1, 2022

Arsht-Rock

The Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center and the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance in collaboration with partner has developed the Heat Action Platform, a living, engagement-oriented tool for city officials, practitioners, and financial institutions to find guidance, both existing resources and tailor-made solutions, on reducing the human and economic impacts of extreme heat at the regional or municipal level.

SAHHIN publishes compilation of heat impacts, mitigation and adaptation news

April 30, 2022

South Asia Health Health Information Network

India and Pakistan act to save lives from extreme heat

April 29, 2022

WMO

Extreme heat is gripping large parts of India and Pakistan, impacting hundreds of millions of people in one of the most densely populated parts of the world. The national meteorological and hydrological departments in both countries are working closely with health and disaster management agencies to roll out heat health action plans which have been successful in saving lives in the past few years.

Heat wave in India leaves millions struggling to cope

April 29, 2022

Sharanya Hrishikesh BBC News, Delhi

India's weather department has issued a severe heatwave warning as temperatures soar, throwing millions of lives and livelihoods out of gear.

HAP To Quantify Heat Stroke Victims

April 19, 2022

Brendan Dabhi Ahmedabad Mirror

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has reached out to all public and private sector health facilities in the city to urge them to report on cases and deaths due to heat-related ailments and heat stroke.

Global heat health network announces new Management Committee and Work Plan

March 31, 2022

GHHIN

The Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) Management Committee has welcomed seven new expert members from Australia, Canada, France, India, Senegal, Singapore, and the United States. These members will contribute to the Networks efforts to protect populations from the avoidable health risks of extreme heat in our changing climate.

WMO kicks off trial to develop integrated urban met services for coastal mega cities

March 25, 2022

Dan Symonds Meteorological Technology International

UN Unveils Ambitious Target for Early Warning Systems

March 23, 2022

WMO

Within the next five years, everyone on Earth should be protected by early warning systems against increasingly extreme weather and climate change according to an ambitious new United Nations target announced on World Meteorological Day (March 23rd). UN Secretary-General António Guterres has tasked the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) to lead the effort and present an action plan to achieve this goal at the next UN climate conference in Egypt this November

NUS scientists to study construction workers’ risk of heat stress

March 13, 2022

Shabana Begum The Straits Times

SINGAPORE - Scientists here will start a new study into how susceptible construction workers are to heat stress at their worksites and dormitories next month.

10 Key Heat Health Messages from the IPCC AR6 Report

February 28, 2022

GHHIN

The Working Group II contribution to the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report - AR6 Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability - released ​​28 February 2022, includes important messages about the current and future impacts of extreme heat on human health. In advance of the release of the Global Health Health Information Network’s synthesis report on "Climate Change, Heat, and Human Health" from the AR6, let’s take a quick look at the top 10 AR6 heat health messages.

America’s hottest city is nearly unlivable in summer. Can cooling technologies save it?

January 27, 2022

Nina Lakhani The Guardian

A surge in heat-related deaths amid record-breaking summer temperatures offers a “glimpse into the future” and a stark warning that one of America’s largest cities is already unlivable for some, according to its new heat tsar.

What drove Perth’s record-smashing heatwave – and why it’s a taste of things to come

January 24, 2022

Jatin Kala The Conversation

Perth smashed its previous heatwave records last week, after sweltering through six days in a row over 40℃ – and 11 days over 40℃ this summer so far. On top of that, Perth has suffered widespread power outages and a bushfire in the city’s north.

Africa’s First Heat Officer Faces a Daunting Task

January 21, 2022

Peter Yeung Bloomberg CityLab

In the capital of Sierra Leone, crowding and poverty complicate efforts to protect a city of 1.2 million from the effects of climate change.

Call for Proposals for Research Grants on Extreme Heat

January 15, 2022

GHHIN, Global Disaster Preparedness Center of the American Red Cross, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Ten research grants will be awarded for 10,000USD or less and to be completed by the 1st of September 2022 or sooner. It should be noted that the research is expected to be original and any plagiarism will disqualify the applicants from benefiting from the grant at any point in the research process.

Global heating linked to early birth and damage to babies’ health, scientists find

January 15, 2022

Damian Carrington The Guardian

Exclusive: Studies show high temperatures and air pollution during pregnancy can cause lifelong health effects

Peer-reviewed Study Finds Extreme Heat Could Threaten $55.4 Billion Annually in Outdoor Worker Earnings by Midcentury

January 13, 2022

Ashley Siefert Nunes Union of Concerned Scientists

Nation, States Lack Mandatory Standards to Keep Workers Safe as Extreme Heat Days Expected to Quadruple

Legislation to strengthen FEMA’s approach to climate disasters

January 13, 2022

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer

UArizona “cool pavement” program aims to beat Tucson’s extreme heat

December 15, 2021

Nicole Costantino News 4 Tuscon

Starting Wednesday, crews with the City of Tucson will be applying a solar-reflective surface treatment designed to reduce roadway temperatures and neutralize vehicle emissions. It's to help with the effects of urban heat islands.

Addressing Heat and Air Quality in Phoenix

December 6, 2021

The Nature Conservancy

Equitably building cool, healthy and climate-resilient cities.

Winter heatwave breaks records in four US states

December 3, 2021

Oliver Milman The Guardian

Wednesday brings hottest December weather on record for Montana, Wyoming, Washington state and North Dakota

Extreme Heat May Affect Young and Middle-Aged Adults More Than Older Adults

November 24, 2021

Jillian McKoy BU School of Public Health

Extreme heat—a leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States—poses an increasing threat to the public, as days of extreme heat are expected to become more frequent, more intense, and longer-lasting due to the continued effects of climate change. Although the adverse health impacts of heat have been well documented among older adults, less is known about the potential impacts of heat on young and middle-aged adults.

What has COP26 achieved for health?

November 21, 2021

WHO

The health community delivers the health argument for climate action at COP26.

Deadly Heat Is Baking Cities. Here’s How to Cool Them Down

November 18, 2021

Matt Simon Wired

Urban areas can be 20 degrees hotter than the surrounding country. But green spaces and reflective pavement can make city life more bearable.

How Scientists Know That Climate Change Juices Heat Waves

November 9, 2021

Eric Roston and Jackie Gu Bloomberg Green

Everyone gathered in Glasgow for the COP26 climate conference is aware that the world is heating up and human activity is responsible—but how much of an individual weather event can be attributed to climate change?

UN issues new guidance to address warming in cities

November 3, 2021

UN

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) today published detailed guidance to help the world’s cities address warming, which is occurring at twice the global average rate in urban areas.

Too hot to handle: can our bodies withstand global heating?

October 20, 2021

Natalie Grover The Guardian

Extreme heat can kill or cause long-term health problems – but for many unendurable temperatures are the new normal

Seventy-Two Hours Under the Heat Dome

October 11, 2021

James Ross Gardner The New Yorker

Residents and city officials from the region described their experiences during this period of record breaking temperatures that led to the deaths of at least 96 people in Oregon.

How to protect yourself and your loved ones from extreme heat

October 7, 2021

Madalyn Amato Los Angeles Times

With climate change triggering increasingly severe heat, Californians will need to prepare themselves for temperature extremes just as they do for earthquakes and other disasters. What do you need to know about heat-related illnesses? How can you identify, treat and prevent them?

Comment: Deploy heat officers, policies and metrics

October 5, 2021

Ladd Keith , Sara Meerow , David M. Hondula , V. Kelly Turner & James C. Arnott Nature

Cities need heat governance to plan for extreme temperatures and protect those most at risk.

Stories from People with Disabilities During Canada’s Extreme Heatwave

October 5, 2021

Paul Aufiero Human Rights Watch

When temperatures in British Columbia, Canada, soared to nearly 50 degrees Celsius/122 degrees Fahrenheit this past summer, people with disabilities and older people were left unprotected. Hundreds of older people died. Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent and more intense because of climate change and authorities have been slow to respond and protect at-risk populations in the province. Human Rights Watch spoke with 17 people who all said that this past summer’s heat affected their physical and mental health – and some feared for their lives. Here are a few of their stories.

Biden administration to write workplace safety rule tackling heat stress

September 20, 2021

Zack Colman Politico

The Biden administration announced Monday that it will begin crafting a standard to protect workers from heat as the federal government wrestles with a growing public health threat exacerbated by climate change.

Workplace Heat Protections Across the Globe

September 15, 2021

Teniope Adewumi-Gunn NRDC

People are facing an increased risk of heat-related illnesses and injuries while on the job as the climate crisis drives temperatures higher and makes heat waves more severe. As these risks increase, so must protections to keep them safe. Solutions that protect workers from heat already exist and several countries have mandatory policies to ensure employers provide workers with heat-relieving measures.

Heat Expert to Lead City’s New Heat Response & Mitigation Office

September 14, 2021

Phoenix has announced an ASU Environmental Sciences Professor will lead a first of its kind Office of Heat Response and Mitigation. ASU Associate Professor David Hondula will lead the office approved by the Phoenix City Council as part of the 2021-22 budget. The Office of Heat Response & Mitigation will establish a strategic action plan to address the growing hazard of urban heat, which threatens the City's economic viability and health and well-being of vulnerable residents.

Reviewing the summer of extreme weather in 2021

September 8, 2021

Chloe Brimicombe, Claudia Di Napoli, Hannah Cloke, Maureen Wanzala Carbon Brief

From heatwaves and hurricanes in the US to flooding in Europe and China, the weather over recent months has frequently hit the headlines.

Summer Is Hot, but This Is Abnormal

July 26, 2021

Kathy Baughman McLeod The Atlantic

Scorching weather has far outstripped old expectations, but many Americans still have trouble seeing high temperatures as a distinct hazard.

Biden administration, workers grapple with health threats posed by climate change and heat

July 19, 2021

Eli Rosenberg and Abha Bhattarai Washington Post

The Labor Department is looking at new regulations while workers, particularly in the West, suffer through a brutal summer.

The ‘wet bulb’ warning

July 17, 2021

Ban Ki-moon and Patrick Verkooijen CNN

Extreme heat is less spectacularly violent than an earthquake or hurricane, but from 2015 to 2019 it killed more people than any other weather hazard. Last month's blistering heat waves in the US Pacific Northwest and Western Canada left hundreds of people dead, as these normally temperate regions grappled with record-breaking temperatures. With just over 100 days to go until the COP26 United Nations Climate Change Conference, these incidents are a tragic reminder that adapting to an increasingly hostile climate is as urgent as ever.

‘We’re not animals, we’re human beings’: US farm workers labor in deadly heat with few protections

July 16, 2021

Michael Sainato The Guardian

Advocates want Osha to issue federal heat standards, requiring water, shade and rest breaks.

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France: Evolving heat waves characteristics challenge heat warning systems and prevention plans

July 16, 2021

Santé publique France

Health effects of heat exposure, whether in terms of morbidity and mortality, are now widely described. In Europe, the 2003 heat wave resulted in 70,000 additional deaths, including 14,800 during the first 15 days of August in France alone..

Work Injuries Tied to Heat Are Vastly Undercounted, Study Finds

July 15, 2021

Christopher Flavelle The New York Times

New data underline how heat waves can hurt people, especially the poorest workers, in unexpected ways.

Deadly heat: how rising temperatures threaten workers from Nicaragua to Nepal

July 14, 2021

Joe Parkin Daniels The Guardian

As scorching temperatures spread, the search for ways to protect against heat stress is becoming ever more urgent.

IFRC warns human-caused climate change made record-breaking heatwave 150 times more likely, putting lives at risk

July 8, 2021

IFRC

Recent rocketing temperatures are having a severe impact on millions of people and putting lives at risk, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned.

Extreme temperatures kill 5 million people a year with heat-related deaths rising, study finds

July 7, 2021

Donna Lu and Lisa Cox The Guardian

More people died of cold than heat in past 20 years but climate change is shifting the balance.

OPINION: Cities must plan for heat resilience now

July 5, 2021

Ladd Keith, Sara Meerow Thomson Reuters Foundation

Shocking heatwaves in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Canada show preparation for climate-driven extreme heat needs work - fast

Iraq’s power cuts show privilege of staying cool in a heatwave

July 5, 2021

Maya Gebeily Thomson Reuters Foundation

As temperatures rise in Iraq, well-off residents can afford generators that crank into action when the national grid falters but others struggle to cope.

As the Climate Emergency Grows, Farmworkers Lack Protection from Deadly Heat

June 14, 2021

Greta Moran Civil Eats

Two new reports draw attention to the scant laws safeguarding farmworkers’ health, including from worsening extreme heat.

UK Met Office to introduce new extreme heat warning

May 28, 2021

UK Met Office

A key priority of the Met Office is to continuously evolve and improve the quality and delivery of the NSWWS, to meet the needs of the UK. From the 1 June, in consultation with Public Health England (PHE), the Devolved Administrations (and their health agencies) and other key stakeholders, we are introducing an Extreme Heat Warning into the NSWWS. The purpose of the extreme heat warning is to increase awareness of the negative impacts of heat on health, infrastructure, and other services for the public across the UK to enable better preparedness to maintain life, wellbeing, property, and livelihoods.

New legislation in Qatar provides greater protection to workers from heat stress

May 27, 2021

ILO

As temperatures soar across the Gulf region, Qatar has adopted new rules to protect workers from extreme heat, including expansion of prohibited summertime work hours, upper heat level thresholds, annual health checks, mandatory risk assessment. The decision was informed, in part by an assessment led by the FAME Lab from the University of Thessaly.

Miami’s chief heat officer calls for action on ‘silent killer’ in climate crisis

May 27, 2021

The Guardian

Jane Gilbert urges greater federal and state response to lethal threat posed by rising temperatures

COVID-19: How heat stress affected livelihood, health of Maharashtra’s rural communities

May 24, 2021

Dipak Zade, Premsagar Tasgaonkar, Christian Siderius

The COVID-19 situation may improve with increased vaccinations, but temperatures will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, putting outdoor workers at risk of heat stress.

Solutions for Extreme Heat as India Battles Covid

May 18, 2021

Sameer Kwatra NRDC

India, currently battling a severe second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing multiple climate stressors simultaneously. Most of the country is already facing peak summer heat, and this week, many coastal states are also dealing with the effects of Cyclone Tauktoe. Fueled by climate change, heatwaves and other extreme weather events are longer, more frequent, and more intense. Long-term resilience is critical to build a public health infrastructure that is robust enough to withstand severe short-term crises such as the current pandemic and persistent climate stressors such as extreme heat. Fortunately, many states and cities are taking action.

Extreme Heat Risks May Be Widely Underestimated and Sometimes Left Out of Major Climate Reports

May 16, 2021

Inside Climate News

New studies sharpen warnings for unlivable heat in the tropics, and nearly unthinkable extremes in major Northern Hemisphere cities.

Miami, Athens and Freetown to appoint world’s 1st Chief Heat Officers

May 5, 2021

Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center

A New, Deadly Risk for Cities in Summer: Power Failures During Heat Waves

May 3, 2021

New York Times

The growing risk of overlapping heat waves and power failures poses a severe threat that major American cities are not prepared for, new research suggests.

Whitest-ever paint could help cool heating Earth, study shows

April 15, 2021

Damian Carrington The Guardian

New paint reflects 98% of sunlight as well as radiating infrared heat into space, reducing need for air conditioning.

NOAA and communities to map heat inequities in 11 states

April 14, 2021

NOAA

Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other weather event, but not everyone’s risk is the same. Within the same city, some neighborhoods can be up to 20°F hotter than others and, due largely to the practice of historic redlining — discriminatory, race-based lending and housing policies in the 1930s — these hot spots are often home to poorer communities of color.

GHHIN steering committee members make Reuters top climate scientist list

April 1, 2021

GHHIN

Three GHHIN Interim Steering Committee members, Andreas Matzarakis, Kristie Ebi, and Sari Kovats, were highlighted on the Reuters list of 1000 top climate scientists.

Red Cross “Can’t Take the Heat” podcast back for season 2

March 14, 2021

Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Listen to episode one of season 2 to hear more about the colliding trends of urbanisation and climate change.

“Climate Adaptive Heat Stress Management in South Asia” session at The Gobeshona 7th International Conference

January 23, 2021

GHHIN

The Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe) and International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in collaboration with Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) successfully conducted a Session on “Climate Adaptive Heat Stress Management in South Asia” at The Gobeshona 7th International Conference hosted by International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD), on 23rd January 2021.

The session was chaired by Prof Jyoti K Parikh, Executive Director, IRADe and the panelists include Dr. Ajit Tyagi, Former Director General, IMD, Dr. Subhash Chander Bhan, Scientist, IMD, Mr. Rohit Magotra, Deputy Director, IRADe, Dr Mahaveer Golechha, IIPH-Ahmedabad, Dr Vijendra Ingole, Researcher, IS Global, Barcelona and Mr. Adam Abdullah, Researcher, Karachi Urban Lab.

The session discussed the research findings, policy gaps and successful interventions for managing heat stress in South Asia. The session also stressed on the need for research and participation of stakeholders for expediting Heat Stress action in South Asia.

A brief presentation about Global Heat Health Information Network (GHHIN) and the initiatives taken by GHHIN to facilitate Heat Stress adaptation through research and collaboration globally among heat health practitioners and researchers was also made.

Mr. Rohit Magotra, Deputy Director, IRADe announced formation of South Asian Heat Health information network (SAHHIN), an independent, voluntary, and member-driven forum of scientists, practitioners, and policy makers focused on improving capacity to protect populations from heat stress.

Can SE Asian workers take the heat? Researchers tackle rising temperatures

January 13, 2021

Rina Chandran Thomson Reuters Foundation

The effects rising heat has on vulnerable workers in Southeast Asia is the focus of a new study that also aims to find out what employers and authorities can do to reduce the impact of soaring temperatures in cities.

Scientists say some official heatwave advice is based on old wives’ tales

January 9, 2021

Alison Branley ABC News AU

Imagine it's a typical summer's day and you've just heard predictions temperatures are set to top 45 degrees Celsius in some parts of Australia.

This Is How Singapore Keeps Its Cool as the City Heats Up

December 1, 2020

Faris Mokhtar Bloomberg CityLab

Building design and technology are becoming increasingly important in the city’s fight to bring temperatures down.

UK 2020 heatwave mortality monitoring shows highest-observed cumulative excess all-cause mortality

November 19, 2020

Public Health England

Public Health England reports, after controlling for coronavirus, cumulative excess all-cause mortality related to heatwaves in summer 2020 was comparable to impacts during the 2003 pan-European heatwave. How the concurrent risk of COVID-19 and heatwaves may have intersected to amplify these impacts is under investigation.

Healthcare workers get dizzy, headache, thirsty from heat while wearing PPE, S’pore-India study shows

November 5, 2020

Timothy Goh The Straits Times

A study of healthcare workers in Singapore and India has found that a majority of those who have to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) experience symptoms of thermal strain, including excessive sweating, exhaustion, and dizziness.

Learn to Map the Urban Heat Island Effect with NASA ARSET

November 5, 2020

Jonathan O’Brien, Sean McCartney and Ana Prados

Join NASA ARSET's three-part Satellite Remote Sensing for Urban Heat Islands online training beginning on November 10.  This will be ARSET's first training on UHI and is offered in collaboration with the National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS) and the Global Heat Health Information Network. Sessions include guest speakers from NASA, USGS, NOAA, and Portland State University. There is no cost to participate and no prior experience is required. 

Feeling hot, hot, hot: Caribbean breaks heat records in 2020

November 1, 2020

Loop News

Excessive heat is becoming the norm in the Caribbean. This is according to the latest data from the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH).

Mask Architects Design Cooling Stations for Abu Dhabi’s Urban Heat Island

October 28, 2020

Eric Baldwin ArchDaily

Mask Architects has been named one of ten winning teams in the Cool Abu Dhabi a global design competition. Their proposal, The Oasys, is a system where residents of Abu Dhabi can relax and enjoy outdoor spaces without feeling the heat. Selected from more than 1,570 participants across 67 countries, the project aims to tackle the effects of climate change through a localized solution for the urban heat island effect.

Open data on COVID-19 and Heat-Health published

October 26, 2020

Cool Infrastructures

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it became clear that poor communities living in high density urban environments across low- and middle-income countries in the Global South would confront the combined effects of COVID-19 and extreme heat. Whilst mitigation measures – such as lock-downs, home quarantines and social distancing – were going to prove difficult for affluent communities who had the means and space to follow them – they looked set to be devastating for communities living in high density informal settlements in urban areas. Mitigation measures looked set to exacerbate already precarious livelihoods by reducing income opportunities and exposing populations to heat stress, by keeping people in poorly insulated and poorly ventilated housing and reducing access to external cooling and hydration infrastructures and services.

US: Heat Emergency Plans Missing Pregnancy, Racial Justice

October 23, 2020

Human Rights Watch

Many plans by local, state, and federal authorities in the United States to respond to heat extremes and climate change miss the threat that extreme heat poses to pregnancy, particularly for low-income and Black and brown people, Human Rights Watch and partners said today. Authorities should promote racial and reproductive justice and address stark racial disparities in health outcomes.

Video: Homeless LA residents face heat, wildfires, and COVID-19

October 19, 2020

Pedro Armando Aparicio, David Zlutnick The Intercept

Residents without housing in Los Angeles now also have to contend with Covid-19, record heat, and smoke-filled air from wildfires.

How heatwave insurance can help cities adapt to climate change

October 14, 2020

Laurie Goering Global Center on Adaptation / Thomson Reuters Foundation

Heatwaves are a challenge faced across the world and only increasing with climate change. One new way to adapt is to mitigate the financial risks they cause by opting for heatwave insurance.

ECMWF moves towards a policy of open data

October 7, 2020

ECMWF

From today, hundreds of ECMWF forecast charts will become free and accessible to all.

As cities bake on a warming planet, insurers cook up heatwave cover

October 5, 2020

Laurie Goering Thomson Reuters Foundation.

With extreme heat impacts soaking up a larger share of urban budgets, insurers are seeking ways to reduce financial risks.

Hotter Days Widen Racial Gap in U.S. Schools, Data Shows

October 5, 2020

Christopher Flavelle New York Times

Higher temperatures are linked to worse test scores, but only for Black and Hispanic children. The likely culprit: a lack of air-conditioning.

Wildfires tear through drought-racked Paraguay amid record heat

October 2, 2020

William Costa The Guardian

Country faces more than 5,000 fires, with yellow smoke reaching the capital as neighbouring Brazil and Argentina face blazes.

Climate Crisis: Senate Moves to Protect Workers from Heat

October 1, 2020

Juanita Constible NRDC

Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) just introduced the “Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act of 2020.” The bill, which comes on the heels of record-breaking heat across the Southwest, directs the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to develop a comprehensive, enforceable standard to protect outdoor and indoor workers from the health harms of extreme heat.

Is extreme heat making India unlivable?

September 26, 2020

Bibek Bhattacharya Mint

2020 is on track to becoming one of the hottest years ever recorded globally. But nowhere is extreme heat and humidity as much a threat as in India.

‘Design as Preventative Care’ Can Mitigate Heat Island Effects

September 24, 2020

Amritha Manesh, Catherine Joseph Next City

Extreme heat events are projected to happen more frequently, last longer, and be more severe in coming years. Exceedingly high temperatures that currently occur once every twenty years may occur as often as every two to four years by the turn of the next century. These projections are deadly — over the last three decades, extreme heat has caused more fatalities than any other weather-related event in the United States.

August 2020: The warmest summer on record for the Northern Hemisphere comes to an end

September 15, 2020

Tom Di Liberto NOAA Climate.gov

The Northern Hemisphere summer ended the way it began, with blistering heat, as summer temperatures across the northern half of the planet were hottest on record, over 2°F above average, according to the latest monthly summary from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Across the entire planet, both August and the June–August period were the second hottest on record, continuing a streak of record- or near record-breaking temperatures that has dominated 2020

Climate explained: will the tropics eventually become uninhabitable?

September 15, 2020

James Shulmeister The Conversation

More than 3.3 billion people live in the tropics, representing about 40% of the world’s population. Despite some areas of affluence, such as Singapore, the tropics are also home to about 85% of the world’s poorest people and are therefore particularly susceptible to the impacts of climate change.

Western Heat and Wildfires Rage On, with Millions at Risk

September 10, 2020

Vijay Limaye NRDC

The health risks of searing heat and wildfires are growing, and climate change is making things worse.

A Climate Reckoning in Fire-Stricken California

September 10, 2020

New York Times

Multiple mega fires burning more than three million acres. Millions of residents smothered in toxic air. Rolling blackouts and triple-digit heat waves. Climate change, in the words of one scientist, is smacking California in the face.

Heat kills. Why don’t we talk about it that way?

September 1, 2020

Kate Yoder Grist

Who isn’t mourning the waning weeks of summer? It’s the season most people look forward to all year. Long days on the beach, 9 p.m. sunsets, perfect tomatoes: What more could you want?

Poor Neighborhoods Feel Brunt Of Rising Heat. Cities Are Mapping Them To Bring Relief

August 28, 2020

NPR

NPR. This summer volunteers are fanning out in 13 cities across the U.S. to — quite literally — take the temperature of their neighborhoods. It's part of a project to help protect people as the world warms, and in many places it's highlighting how the poorest areas suffer most from rising urban heat.

Hong Kong’s hot nights and even hotter days bring higher risk of mortality for women and the elderly, new study finds

August 24, 2020

Zoe Low South China Morning Post

Consecutive hot nights pose a higher risk to public health than hot days, and bring a 6 per cent higher risk of death for women and the elderly, a study by a Hong Kong university has found.

Halfway to boiling: the city at 50C

August 13, 2020

Jonathan Watts, Elle Hunt The Guardian

It is the temperature at which human cells start to cook, animals suffer and air conditioners overload power grids. Once an urban anomaly, 50C is fast becoming reality.

Last decade was Earth’s hottest on record as climate crisis accelerates

August 12, 2020

Oliver Milman The Guardian

The past decade was the hottest ever recorded globally, with 2019 either the second or third warmest year on record, as the climate crisis accelerated temperatures upwards worldwide, scientists have confirmed.

Here’s What Extreme Heat Looks Like: Profoundly Unequal

August 7, 2020

Somini Sengupta New York Times

Earth is overheating. This year is poised to be one of the hottest ever. Millions are already feeling the pain, but the agony of extreme heat is profoundly unequal across the globe.

Heatwave Harry? As temperatures soar, naming the threat may save lives

August 4, 2020

Laurie Goering Thomson Reuters Foundation

Giving heatwaves names and ratings - much like hurricanes - could help people understand the growing threat, heat experts say.

Rising temperatures will cause more deaths than all infectious diseases – study

August 4, 2020

Oliver Milman The Guardian

Poorer, hotter parts of the world will struggle to adapt to unbearable conditions, research finds.

Life and Death in Our Hot Future Will Be Shaped by Today’s Income Inequality

August 3, 2020

Eric Roston, Paul Murray and Rachael Dottle Bloomberg

Your future risk of dying from heat will be determined more than anything else by where you live and the local consequences of today’s economic inequality. That’s the conclusion of a major paper released today by the Climate Impact Lab, a research consortium that spent years mapping the relationship between temperature, income, and mortality

As workers sweat, pressure grows on employers to turn down the heat

July 31, 2020

By Megan Rowling @meganrowling Thomson Reuters Foundation

As global temperatures rise, workers are increasingly struggling to cope with heat on the job and companies are starting to adapt their practices.

Eat or stay cool? Cities test ways to protect the poor from rising heat

July 30, 2020

By Laurie Goering @lauriegoering Thomson Reuters Foundation

From spray parks in water-short Cape Town to heat-reflecting pavements in Tokyo, cities around the world that face worsening heatwaves as the planet warms are rapidly adopting innovations to try to beat increasingly deadly heat.

Heat Health Dialogues

July 28, 2020

GHHIN

Find recordings from our Heat in the City and Heat in the Workplace dialogues.

Climate change causes health threats in Finland too

July 27, 2020

Ulla Kaltiala University of Eastern Finland

The climate change is causing temperatures to rise in Finland more than they are rising on average elsewhere in the world. “Longer heat waves with higher temperatures pose even greater risks on older people and those with chronic conditions,” says Lanki.

Climate change: Summers could become ‘too hot for humans’

July 16, 2020

David Shukman BBC

Millions of people around the world could be exposed to dangerous levels of heat stress - a dangerous condition which can cause organs to shut down.

How to Find Relief During Summer Heat Waves in the City

July 13, 2020

Courtney Lindwall NRDC

Extreme heat is already a public health threat—now, COVID-19 may make that impact worse. Here are some quick tips and long-term strategies to help keep you and your neighbors cool.

Why Africa’s heatwaves are a forgotten impact of climate change

July 13, 2020

Friederike Otto, Luke Harrington Carbon Brief

Recent summers have demonstrated dramatically that heatwaves are not only deadly, but they are already being influenced by human-induced climate change.

Better African heatwave data could save lives, shield economies, report says

July 13, 2020

Kim Harrisberg Reuters

Heatwaves over the last century in sub-Saharan Africa have not been properly recorded, undermining early warning systems to save lives and prevent economic losses caused by soaring temperatures, a University of Oxford report said on Monday.

Scarcity of shade hurts Indian street vendors’ income, health

July 9, 2020

Rina Chandran Thomson Reuters Foundation

As heatwaves become more commonplace, lack of shade in can have devastating effects on those who live and work on city streets

Heat Health Masterclass Series

July 1, 2020

GHHIN

Rapid, interactive learning of best practices and science for essential applications in heat health, taught by leading experts in the field.

New scientific opinion on ‘Adaptation to climate change-related health effects’ recommends more support for resilience of the health sector

June 29, 2020

European Commission

Today, the European Commission’s independent Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (SAM) published their opinion ‘Adaptation to climate change-related health effects’ which contains advice and recommendations on how the EU can help to make our societies, and in particular health sector, better prepared and more resilient with respect to impacts from climate change on health.

New Podcast: Can’t Take the Heat

June 25, 2020

Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre

Host Roop Singh approaches the biggest challenges posed by climate change, like more intense and frequent heatwaves, from a humanitarian perspective. How will the impacts of climate change affect people around the world? What are the big solutions that are in the works? How do we make them happen? The podcast features experts from around the world including leading scientists developing climate solutions, and humanitarian volunteers telling stories of climate change from the frontlines of disasters.

Extreme Heat and COVID-19 Info Series

May 26, 2020

GHHIN

Information for decision-makers on managing the combined risks of extreme heat and COVID-19.

Umbrellas for social distancing: The Kerala way of fighting COVID-19

May 9, 2020

The New Indian Express

In a bid to ensure social distancing, the Thanneermukkom Gram Panchayat in Kerala's Alappuzha district has come up with a unique initiative - every resident will step out with an umbrella.

Summer heat waves could be deadlier because of COVID-19, health officials warn

May 6, 2020

Anna M. Phillips, Tony Barboza Chicago Tribune

As summer descends on the U.S., public health experts are warning that the coronavirus could make intense heat waves deadlier, adding to the devastating death toll the country has suffered.

13 Cities Launch Urban Heat Island Community Science Campaigns in 2020 with NOAA

April 22, 2020

Richard Aguilar Glupker NIHHIS

NOAA will support and coordinate 13 community science Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping field campaigns in cities across the country this summer.

Extreme, high temperatures may double or triple heart-related deaths

March 30, 2020

American Heart Association

People living in inherently hot regions of the world may be at particularly high risk of heat-related cardiovascular death.

New model helps explain seasonal variations in urban heat islands

March 24, 2020

Duke University Science Daily

Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns linked to climate change may alter the seasonality of urban heat islands in coming decades. A new model simplifies predictions of 'urban heat islands' based on temperature, sunlight and rainfall.

South Asia Heat Health Summit

February 17, 2020

GHHIN

The South Asia Heat Health Summit took place on 14 February 2020 in Pune, India, in conjunction with the International Conference on Climate Services 6.

Gambia’s labouring farmers show why premature births may boom in a warmer world

February 6, 2020

Nellie Peyton Thomson Reuters Foundation

Researchers are tracking the risks facing Gambia's pregnant farmers and their babies as climate change brings more heat extremes.

Heatwaves in 2019 led to almost 900 extra deaths in England

January 7, 2020

Damian Carrington The Guardian

Analysis shows impact of climate emergency in year of record temperatures.

Heatwaves and Health in the Sahel

December 13, 2019

Wassila M. Thiaw

The Ministry of Health of Senegal and The Senegal National Agency of Civil Aviation and Meteorology (ANACIM), conducted a regional training workshop that brought together meteorologists and health professionals from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal to learn how to use heatwave forecasts to prepare a heatwave early warning system and issue outlooks of impacts of extreme heat on human health.

How to keep cool in a blackout during a heatwave

October 9, 2019

University of Sydney

If there is no power for air-conditioning, and tap water is the only resource available, spreading it across the skin is the best way to prevent the body overheating irrespective of the climate, according to a new study from the University of Sydney.

Commit to ambitious climate action, 
including building resilience for heat health

September 10, 2019

GHHIN

Many of the same actions that can reduce the carbon emissions that are driving climate change can also bring improve health and wellbeing. We encourage you to act on health at the UNSG 2019 Climate Action Summit by committing to one of the goals of the Social and Political Drivers coalition.

Heat Health Advisory and Readiness Actions for Chile

August 30, 2019

GHHIN

Responding to increasingly frequent heatwaves is an emerging demand on Chile's health sector. In August 2019, global experts gathered in Santiago to review current mechanisms for predicting and responding to heatwaves, and to identify opportunities to improve forecasting, preparedness and the human impact focus for heat health in the context of the country’s climate change adaptation policy and emergency preparedness and response system.

Call to Action from the Global Heat Health Information Network

July 18, 2019

GHHIN

The Global Heat Health Information Network Call to Action was launched in May during the UNDRR Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, to highlight critical steps to strengthen heat action.

First Global Forum on Heat and Health held in Hong Kong, China

April 9, 2019

Joy Shumake-Guillemot, Lucas Scherdel, Chao Ren GHHIN

Extreme heat poses a serious and growing risk in all world regions, but heat-related deaths are largely preventable. The First Global Forum on Heat and Health, held in Hong Kong, China, from 17 - 20 December 2018, addressed this challenge and formally launched the Global Heat Health Information Network.

Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities

Beating the Heat: A Sustainable Cooling Handbook for Cities was launched on November 3rd 2021 at COP26 by the Cool Coalition, UNEP, RMI, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM), Mission Innovation and Clean Cooling Collaborative.

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