Andrea Thompson: As you may know, extreme heat records are being broken all over the world, from the Mediterranean to South Asia. Most recently, records fell in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada.
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news caster: Across British Columbia, residents are coping with record heatwaves.
news caster: A heat advisory was issued for much of western Canada on Saturday, dropping 17 temperature records.
Interviewed: Not your usual May. Nor is it an unusually dry May. This is exceptional.
Kelso Harper: Temperatures were in the mid 90’s in some places. By the way, this is 20-25 degrees Fahrenheit higher than normal.
Thompson: Today we will talk about “heat”. Summer is approaching in the northern hemisphere, and with the effects of climate change, today’s hot summer will be the coolest summer of the rest of our lives.
Thompson: I’m Andrea Thompson, Earth and Environment Editor for Scientific American.
Harper: I’m Kelso Harper, SciAm Multimedia Editor. You’re listening to Science, Quickly.
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harper: So, Andrea, first of all. How do heat waves occur?
Thompson: A heat wave occurs when a high pressure system stays over an area for several days. Beneath these systems, the air is submerged and cloud formation is prevented. And if there are no clouds in the sky, that means the sun can actually scorch the surface. Imagine getting into a car that has been left in the sun. You can see that.
harper: Well, this is really dangerous. In June 2021, a particularly intense heat wave hit the same area, killing hundreds.
Thompson: With climate change, such heat waves are likely to become more frequent, longer in duration, and more intense over time.
harper: And heat records are likely to be broken, and sometimes completely. Heat records are usually broken by a few dozen degrees. But last week, Canada near the Hudson Bay, still covered in winter ice, broke its heat record with temperatures surpassing 7 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures were 40 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average.
Thompson: But just because a heat wave has set a record doesn’t mean you feel miserable. Especially in places like the Pacific Northwest where air conditioning isn’t as prevalent and people aren’t very used to the heat. And at times of the year like May when people don’t expect it.
Harper: Heat waves are especially hard on the elderly, young children and those with health conditions such as asthma and heart disease.
Thompson: And it’s not just the high temperature of the day that causes problems. Higher temperatures at night mean that you don’t get a chance to cool off, especially if you don’t have air conditioning.
Harper: And humidity affects our experience of heat, right?
Thompson: That’s right, as anyone who has been outside on a summer’s day knows, hot temperatures make you sweat. This is actually the body’s natural cooling system as sweat cools the skin as it evaporates. However, high humidity slows down evaporation and may eventually stop it.
Harper: And with global temperatures rising year by year, it seems likely that today’s hottest heatwaves and summers in memory will be forgotten.
Thompson: Well, the summer of 1998 was the hottest summer on record at the time and is now the 10th hottest, thanks to a massive El Niño event.
Harper: Speaking of El Niño, forecasters are predicting an El Niño this year. Can you remember what El Niño actually is?
Thompson: El Niño occurs when waters in the tropical eastern Pacific become warmer than normal. The heat released into the atmosphere varies around some of the larger air circulation patterns that affect weather around the world. The heat also raises the temperature of the earth.
harper: And what are the chances of seeing that this year?
Thompson: With a probability of about 90 percent at the moment, there is a very strong chance that it will happen, and it will have major weather impacts around the world.
harper: What kind of weather effects might there be?
Thompson: So some places, like Indonesia, are actually much drier than usual, eventually leading to droughts and sometimes wildfires that spew copious amounts of smoke into the air. increase. Elsewhere, more rain than usual could cause flooding. And since the Atlantic actually dampens hurricane formation, hurricane seasons tend to be quieter when El Niño hits.
Harper: wow, that’s really interesting. Well, not every summer will be hotter or hotter than last year, but it’s clear that we have to adapt to a hotter climate.
Thompson: And while it may seem powerless to us to stop it, we can actually control the heat of future summers. The sooner we cut greenhouse gas emissions, the less hot and deadly summers will be in the future.
harper: Local policy interventions, such as creating more green spaces in cities and painting roofs white to reflect more sunlight, can also help.
Thompson: If you’re having a blistering heat this summer and want to know how to stay cool, we’ve linked an FAQ in the show notes. We will introduce the difference between heat stroke and heat stroke, what to do in the event of a power outage, and heat countermeasures that you can do at home.
Personally, I love applying cold ice packs to my neck. And so does my dog.
harper: Oh, that’s so sweet. I spent last summer taking many cold showers, using frozen washcloths, and sometimes sleeping next to the air conditioner in the living room.
Thompson: I have to do what I have to do to keep my cool!
[Clip: Show theme music]
Thompson: Thank you for listening scientific American science fast. The show is produced by Jeff Dervicio, Turika Bose and Kelso Harper. Edited by Alexa Lim and Elah Feder. Our music is by Dominic Smith.
harper: If you like this show, please consider leaving a rating or review. Also, check out sciam.com for more news and features on the planet, the environment and everything else.
Thompson: Quickly on the science, I’m Andrea Thompson
harper: I’m Kelso Harper
Thompson: Until next time, stay calm!
