A heat wave is an extended period of intense heat, often caused by hot air trapped in place by high pressure systems. Last week saw record breaking temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere and cities like Chicago, Paris, and New Delhi have seen historic heat waves in the last decade. Climate change will bring with it not just hotter summers but also more intense and more frequent heat waves. What is at risk in this increased heat?
The Effects of a Heat Wave
- Infrastructure fails.
- Planes can’t take off.
- Asphalt can burn you (and your pet).
- Our bodies suffer serious health risks.
- Our crops suffer.
Let's explore each a little further.
1. Infrastructure fails.
Materials like steel can start to expand above certain temperatures. In 2018, a steel bridge in Chicago had to be hosed down with cold water because it could no longer open for boats to travel underneath. The joints had expanded due to prolonged exposure to temperatures over 100 degrees and became stuck in place. In 2012, rail lines deformed by heat in Illinois caused a freight train to derail and cause the collapse of an overpass. In the Arizona heat wave of 2017, locals posted photographs of everyday items they claimed were affected by the extreme heat including paint melting off of street signs and holes melted into the sides of trash bins.
2. Planes can’t take off.
In 2017, temperatures reached 119 degrees F in cities like Phoenix, Arizona, where flights then had to be cancelled. In higher temperatures, planes need to be going faster in order to get off the ground. So longer runways are needed to be sure a plane has sufficient time to reach the necessary ground speed. Certain flights, given the specific airport and the aircraft, thus have maximum approved temperatures, above which the safety of the flight cannot be assured. For many flights out of Phoenix, that maximum temperature is 118 degrees.
In 2012 in Washington, D.C., when temperatures reached 100 degrees, a plane’s wheels sunk into the exceedingly hot tarmac and became stuck, delaying the flight for several hours.
3. Asphalt can burn you (and your pet).
Asphalt can get as high as 20 degrees hotter than ambient temperatures during a heat wave and hot enough to burn you if touched. In 2018, asphalt along the Hume Highway which links Sydney and Melbourne in Australia actually melted when temperatures exceeded 47.3 degrees Celsius or just over 117 degrees Fahrenheit. The Humane Society warns that your pets can overheat with extended exposure to hot asphalt and thus advises walking them on the grass.
4. Our bodies suffer serious health risks.
Too much heat exposure usually starts with dehydration, heat rash, and muscle cramps. If not addressed, these symptoms can progress to heat exhaustion, which includes dizziness, headache, and fainting, or the more serious heat stroke which involves the inability to sweat, body temperatures above 103 Fahrenheit, and confusion or unconsciousness. People over 65, children, anyone with a medical condition, or those who work outdoors are more at risk.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention records more than 600 deaths in the United States each year due to extreme heat. Hospital emergency rooms in places with prolonged heat waves sometimes also report increases in visits for medical issues not normally associated with overheating, like kidney problems. Can heat exposure have a lasting effect on our organs? There is also evidence that heat disrupts our sleep, our ability to think clearly, and healthy birth rates. More research needs to be done into the longer term effects of heat on our health.
5. Our crops suffer.
It’s no surprise that plant life suffers in extreme heat just as we do. Heat sensitive and widely consumed crops like maize, soy, and spring wheat are likely to be among the most affected. Past heatwaves, like the one in Europe in 2003, saw crop yields for maize, fruit, and even wine drop by as much as 30% in Italy and France.
So what can we do to beat the heat? Climate change poses a variety of risks to our personal safety beyond heat waves. While the issues related to climate change are large scale and can seem daunting, there are still small things we can do as individuals to combat climate change. In the meantime, to beat the heat, drink lots of water, seek out cool, air-conditioned places to hang out, avoid using appliances like the oven or the clothes dryer in the hottest part of the day, and water your plants early in the morning before the heat is at its worst.
Until next time, this is Sabrina Stierwalt with Everyday Einstein’s Quick and Dirty Tips for helping you make sense of science. You can become a fan of Everyday Einstein on Facebook or follow me on Twitter, where I’m @QDTeinstein. If you have a question that you’d like to see on a future episode, send me an email at everydayeinstein@quickanddirtytips.com.
Image courtesy of shutterstock.
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