A new study by an international team of scientists has found that an area almost the size of the United States could experience extreme heat events that endangers even healthy people — as reported by the American Association for the Advancement of Science publication EurekAlert.
Scientists uncover alarming trend that could put millions of people at risk: ‘Potentially deadly consequences’
Published: March 15, 2025
This article was originally published by The Cool Down
Extreme heat is the top cause of weather-related deaths.
What’s happening?
According to The Hill, the study’s analysis warns that our overheating planet is expected to increase the frequency of us crossing critical heat thresholds, potentially tripling the land area where young adults cannot physiologically tolerate conditions during heat events if the world’s temperature rises 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.
Unsurvivable heat thresholds have already been briefly surpassed for adults over 60 years old across some of Earth’s hotspots, per the study.
Dr. Tom Matthews, climate scientist and lead author of the study, explained in a statement that the level of heat creates conditions where “prolonged outdoor exposure — even for those in the shade, with a strong breeze, and well hydrated — would be expected to cause lethal heatstroke.”
“Our findings show the potentially deadly consequences if global warming reaches 2 degrees Celsius,” added Matthews in the EurekAlert post. “… It represents a step change in heat-mortality risk.”
The Hill noted that, if sufficient measures aren’t taken to abandon dirty energy sources, there are scenarios that suggest the world’s warming could top 4 degrees Celsius, or 7.2 degrees Fahrenheit. That would mean 40% of Earth’s land area would experience extreme heat waves that would be unsurvivable for adults.
Why is an increasing threat of dangerous heat important?
Extreme heat is the top cause of weather-related deaths. According to the National Weather Service, heat has killed more people on average annually over the past 30 years than hurricanes, tornadoes, and lightning combined.
In 2024, Earth’s warmest year on record, we saw the dangerous implications of our warming world. Last summer, a father and his daughter, and a 30-year-old woman died in heat-related cases in Canyonlands National Park. Phoenix had a record 113 straight days when the high temperatures soared past 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Health officials in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, reported 466 confirmed heat-related deaths through the 2024 heat surveillance season, with another 191 under investigation.
A study released last August found that heat-associated deaths climbed by 117% between 1999 and 2023 in the U.S. The team of researchers behind the study noted that 2,325 Americans died from heat-related causes in 2023, the highest number recorded during the study period.
What’s being done about extreme heat?
“As more of the planet experiences outdoor conditions too hot for our physiology, it will be essential that people have reliable access to cooler environments to shelter from the heat,” Matthews said, per The Hill. This highlights how solar panels and battery storage solutions can be life-saving in the event of a grid outage by keeping the power on.
Ultimately, our overheating planet is fueled by a buildup of heat-trapping gases in our atmosphere, supercharging extreme weather events like heat waves, hurricanes, wildfires, and droughts. Curbing carbon pollution by decreasing our dependence on dirty energy sources and employing renewable sources instead is the ultimate solution.
Changing how we get from one place to another can have an impact. For instance, replacing a gas-powered car with an electric vehicle (which has zero tailpipe emissions), walking or biking when possible instead of driving, and using public transportation when you can’t walk are all ways we can help.