Extreme Heatwave Continue to Cripple Lives, Peaks at 50 degrees C

KAKALI DAS

In India, millions are seeking refuge indoors during the scorching daytime, transforming neighbourhoods into ghost towns as the country grapples with successive heat waves.

Just two days ago, the weather bureau issued a fresh warning and red alert across the country, where temperatures expected to soar beyond the 47°Celsius mark. The scorching heat is enough to fry an omelette under the sun. Reminiscent of an oven, this heat comes as no surprise amidst the ongoing heatwave.

On Saturday (25-05-2024), Phalodi in West Rajasthan recorded the highest maximum temperature in the country at 50.0 degree Celsius.

Extreme Heatwave Continue to Cripple Lives, Peaks at 50 degrees C — worldweatherattribution.org

For millennia, the Earth’s climate has oscillated within a relatively tight range, typically hovering around 13°Celsius. Over this time, humans, as well as crops and livestock, have adapted to these conditions. Consequently, our infrastructure has been meticulously crafted to function within these parameters.

With temperatures on the rise, the eight-year period spanning from 2015 to 2022 marked the hottest years on record, a trend that continued into 2023, surpassing previous records. It’s highly probable that 2024 will follow suit and set new temperature records.

Human activities, plant growth, animal behaviours, and societal systems are all experiencing disruptions from the abnormal heat. This distortion of daily life is altering living and working routines for individuals. Those employed in outdoor professions face the brunt of these changes, often resorting to shorter shifts or nocturnal work, which poses its own set of risks.

“Rising temperatures devastate crops, driving up costs and potentially jeopardizing food security. Heat disrupts sleep patterns, with hot nights linked to increased mortality rates and a myriad of health risks. As a silent yet lethal force, heatwaves claim more lives than any other natural hazard. Tragically, individuals succumb to dehydration and organ failure, marking the most severe outcomes.”

While indoor workers face comparatively lower risks, their routines are undergoing significant upheavals. Many companies are opting to cut back on work hours, a necessary measure but one that inevitably impacts productivity on a societal scale.

Delays in project completion are becoming commonplace, while balancing additional commitments like second jobs or family responsibilities is becoming increasingly challenging due to the pervasive impact on personal lives.

As life gravitates indoors, outdoor activities, such as children playing, are becoming rare occurrences. Athletes are adjusting their training regimens, and individuals are resorting to indoor alternatives like jogging in malls. Even animals in zoos are seeking refuge in air-conditioned enclosures, highlighting the widespread influence of these changes.

However, the majority of animals lack such luxuries, facing fates akin to the monkeys in Mexico who are succumbing to heat-related deaths, often falling from trees. Heat acts as a selective killer, showcasing that inequality extends beyond humans. Nevertheless, its impact can affect everyone in concealed ways.

Rising temperatures devastate crops, driving up costs and potentially jeopardizing food security. Heat disrupts sleep patterns, with hot nights linked to increased mortality rates and a myriad of health risks.

As a silent yet lethal force, heatwaves claim more lives than any other natural hazard. Tragically, individuals succumb to dehydration and organ failure, marking the most severe outcomes.

In addition to overt dangers, heat presents subtler issues such as dizziness, nausea, burning eyes, confusion, and irritability, all contributing to deteriorating brain health.

Its effects extend beyond physical discomfort, impairing memory, language skills, and the formation of identity, while exacerbating existing brain disorders. Furthermore, heat facilitates the rapid spread of life-threatening diseases like Dengue and Malaria.

The impact of extreme heat permeates every facet of life. However, before succumbing to visions of a dystopian future marked by famines, conflicts, and mass migrations, it’s crucial to explore potential coping strategies. Is there a viable approach to mitigate the effects of this heat?

Scientists advocate for a dual-pronged approach. Firstly, mitigation efforts are crucial for undoing and reversing the damage caused by climate change, a process that demands sustained commitment.

However, given the long-term nature of mitigation, immediate attention is drawn towards adaptation—embracing the new reality and adjusting to a warmer world.

Unlike other climate-related challenges where survival strategies like fleeing hurricanes or purchasing wildfire insurance suffice, heat presents a unique predicament, enveloping everyone while impacting each individual differently.

Heatwave kolkata — worldweatherattribution.org (Kolkata, India. Image by Cédric Z.)

Recommendations: The solutions must be customized, encompassing strategies such as enhancing heat tolerance, improving physical fitness, adjusting school and work schedules, cooling off by soaking feet in cold water, drinking plenty of water, using oral rehydration solutions or homemade drinks like lemon water, coconut water, lassi etc., or adopting practices like painting roofs white.

Heatwave6 — A weather map measuring temperatures shows the impact of heatwaves across South Asia (File pic)

Avoid heat exposure, wear lightweight and light-coloured clothing, and cover your head with a cloth, hat, or umbrella. Whether big or small, action is imperative at both personal and civic levels, recognizing that while we cannot alter the past, we can certainly shape the present to prevent a future fraught with discomfort and peril.

26-05-2024

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