Rising temperatures at night due to climate change expose billions to health risks

ISTANBUL

A recent study by Climate Central reveals that climate change is disproportionately pushing the nighttime temperatures up, exposing billions to heat-related diseases and disruptions.

Climate Central, an independent group that researches the effects of climate change and global warming, reported that summer nighttime temperatures have risen 2.29℃ (36.2F) between 1895 and 2023.

In comparison to the average global increase of 1.1℃, summer nighttime temperatures have increased at double the rate of the global average increase.

Experts state that warmer nights could lead to an increase in acute and chronic disease due to heat. Prolonged periods of extreme temperatures during both day and night put significant stress on the human body, raising the risk of heat-related illnesses and fatalities.

Heat waves can severely affect large groups of people over brief time spans, frequently leading to public health crises and resulting in increased death rates. Additionally, these events can have wide-reaching socioeconomic consequences, including reduced work capacity and decreased labor productivity.

According to the World Health Organization, heat-related mortality for people over 65 years of age increased by approximately 85% between 2000–2004 and 2017–2021. Between 2000–2019, studies show approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred each year, with 45% of these in Asia and 36% in Europe.

High intensity heat wave events can bring high acute mortality; in 2003, 70,000 people in Europe died as a result of the June–August event, where summer temperatures rose 20-30% higher than the seasonal average.