The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Increasing health risks due to intensified heatwaves, WMO
As global temperatures reach unprecedented levels, the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Tuesday warned of an increased risk of death as intense heatwaves continued to grip parts of Europe, Asia, North Africa and the United States.
“Heatwaves are amongst the deadliest natural hazards, with hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year. It's a rather poorly understood hazard,” said John Nairn, WMO’s Senior Extreme Heat Advisor. “Heat is a rapidly growing health risk due to increased or rapid urbanization, the increasing extreme temperatures and an ageing population.”
According to WMO, this year’s extensive and intense heatwaves are alarming - but not unexpected - as they are in line with forecasts. Scorching conditions “are not your normal weather systems of the past” and are with us “as a consequence of climate change”, Mr. Nairn insisted. “You are losing the North Pole ice and that is reinforcing that mechanism. It will continue and it will continue for some time.”
Temperatures in North America, Asia and across North Africa and the Mediterranean will be above 40° C for a prolonged number of days.
Phoenix in Arizona has suffered temperatures of 46,7 °C during the day and overnight temperatures of 32.2° C. The italian island of Sardinia is expected to see a high of 46 °C this afternoon and Spain has faced consecutive heat waves with temperatures yesterday reaching 44°C.
Highlighting how serious the impacts of heatwaves are on people, economies, the natural built environment, WMO’s Mr. Nairn noted that last summer’s European heatwaves claimed an additional 60,000 lives “That number is considered to be quite conservative,” he said, adding that the European toll happened data comes despite the fact that the continent has some of the strongest early warning systems and heat-health action plans in the world.
“We are seeing continuing growth in the frequency, duration and intensity of heatwaves. And this is entirely consistent with the science of global warming and (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) IPCC reports. These events will continue to grow in intensity, and the world needs to prepare for more intense heatwaves,” said Mr. Nairn.
The WMO expert added that “the recently declared El Niño is only expected to amplify the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events. So, we're in for a bit of a ride, I'm afraid. And they will have quite serious impacts on human health and livelihoods.”
Replying to a journalist’s question on how the current heatwave had developed, Mr. Nairn pointed to “parked weather systems that accumulate a lot of sunshine and heat in one location that moves extremely slowly…You have to reverse it. You have to do climate repair to change it. So, it is global warming and is going to continue for some time.”
Overnight temperatures are expected to reach new highs in future, according to WMO, which is particularly concerning because repeated high night-time temperatures provide no respite to vulnerable people who face an increased risk of heart attacks and death.
Describing the heatwave as an “invisible emergency”, Panu Saaristo, Emergency Health Unit Team leader from the international Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), said that it was crucial to look out for people who were vulnerable because of poor health, but also their socio-economic conditions and living arrangements, “which can also induce risks”.
Low-income neighbourhoods in European cities currently bear the brunt of this invisible emergency, the ICRC official added, noting that heatwaves “also impact other areas of society through reduced economic output, strained health systems and even power outages”.
WMO stressed that worldwide, more intense and extreme heat is unavoidable and that it is imperative to prepare and adapt as cities, homes, workplaces are not built to withstand prolonged high temperatures. Vulnerable people are not sufficient aware of the serious health risk that heat poses to their health and well-being.
-ends-
- Exterior medium shot: UN Palais with flags
- Wide shot: speakers and mediator behind panel at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – John Nairn, Senior Extreme Heat Advisor at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “Heat waves are amongst the deadliest natural hazards, with hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths each year. It's a rather poorly understood hazard. Heat is a rapidly growing health risk due to increased or rapid urbanization, the increasing extreme temperatures and an aging population.”
- Medium shot: attendee taking a picture, speaker in the background
- SOUNDBITE (English) – John Nairn, Senior Extreme Heat Advisor at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The impacts on people, economies, the natural built environment are very serious. A recent study has calculated that in Europe last summer, 60’000 additional people died due to extreme heat, and that number is considered to be quite conservative by the experts who did the work as well as government.”
- Medium shot: speakers and mediator behind panel at the press conference
- SOUNDBITE (English) – John Nairn, Senior Extreme Heat Advisor at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “We are seeing continuing growth in the frequency, duration and intensity of heatwaves. And this is entirely consistent with the science of global warming and IPCC reports. These events will continue to grow in intensity, and the world needs to prepare for more intense heatwaves. The recently declared El Niño is only expected to amplify the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events. So we're in for a bit of a ride, I'm afraid. And they will have quite serious impacts on human health and livelihoods.”
- Medium shot: attendees at the press conference, screen with speakers
- SOUNDBITE (English) – John Nairn, Senior Extreme Heat Advisor at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “It's very wobbly and it ends up with parked weather systems that accumulate a lot of sunshine and heat in one location that moves extremely slowly. These are not your normal weather systems of the past. They have arrived as a consequence of climate change. You are losing the North Pole ice and that is reinforcing that mechanism. It will continue and it will continue for some time. You have to reverse it. You have to do climate repair to change it. So it is global warming and is going to continue for some time.”
- Medium shot: attendee at the press conference, screen with speakers
- SOUNDBITE (English) – Panu Saaristo (from Budapest), IFRC Emergency Health Unit Team leader: “During these times, it’s crucial to pay attention to the people that face the biggest risk. They are not only people that are vulnerable because of the health conditions, socio-economic conditions and living arrangement can also induce risks. So low-income people in the continent’s cities really bear the brunt of this invisible emergency. And these heatwaves also impact other areas of society through reduced economic output, strained health systems and even power outages.”
- Medium shot: attendee at the press conference, screen with speakers
- Close shot: attendees typing
- Medium shot: attendees and camerawoman at the press conference
- Medium shot: attendee at the press conference, screen with speakers
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Israeli military operations in Lebanon continue to kill and injure civilians, and destroy civilian infrastructure, raising concerns regarding the protection of civilians, the UN Human Rights Office warned today.
1
1
1
Edited News | IOM , UNWOMEN , UNDP
Sudan: Aid teams report massive displacement after latest Darfur atrocity; women’s bodies ‘turned into battlegrounds’
In Sudan’s North Darfur, tens of thousands of people have fled a displacement camp following the massacre of civilians and aid workers as the country enters the third year of a conflict marked by horrific levels of sexual violence, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ITC
Global trade could shrink by three per cent as a result of the United States’ new tariff measures which in the longer term could reshape and boost as-yet untapped regional commercial links, a top UN economist confirmed on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Warring parties in Sudan are overseeing a wholesale assault on human rights amid global inaction, the UN Human Rights Office said on Friday, as the conflict is about to enter its third year.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday said Israel’s increasing issuance of so-called “evacuation orders” for Palestinians in Gaza have resulted in their forcible transfer.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , OHCHR , UNHCR , UNWOMEN , WFP , WHO
Two years of war in Sudan have created epic suffering, aid agencies say
Two years since Sudan’s brutal conflict began, UN agencies warned that famine is spreading and civilians of all ages continue to suffer shocking abuse, including rape and gang rape.
1
1
Edited News | UNMAS
In Gaza, ongoing Israeli military operations and the aid blockade have continued to add to daily fears and hardships confronting those in the devastated enclave, the UN Mine Action Service, UNMAS, said on Wednesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNDP
Dangers grow for Myanmar earthquake survivors, health system 'overwhelmed' - UNDP
In earthquake-shattered central Myanmar people are sleeping in the streets in fear of buildings collapsing, facing early monsoon rains and the risk of waterborne diseases, the UN Development Programme warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | ICRC , OHCHR , UNHCR
Myanmar’s military has continued to launch airstrikes and other attacks against opposition forces in the devastated country, one week since a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck and despite announcing a ceasefire, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said on Friday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif on Tuesday presented a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic Republic of Congo, detailing the continued violations of human rights as a result of the offensive launched by the Rwandan-backed M23 in eastern DRC.
1
1
1
Edited News | OCHA , UNICEF , IFRC
UN humanitarians and partners on Tuesday expressed deep shock at the killing of 15 colleagues on duty in southern Gaza whose remains were recovered from a shallow grave after a week-long rescue operation, noting that one worker is still missing.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , OCHA , WHO , UNHCR
Myanmar earthquake latest: window for lifesaving support is closing, say UN humanitarians
As the death toll continues to rise in earthquake-struck Myanmar, UN humanitarians have been rushing to support severely deprived and traumatized victims, warning that the window for lifesaving response is closing.