London (Kaab TV) – Whether it’s floods or epidemics, societies are generally equipped to handle only the gravest disasters they have experienced in recent memory. And so, when it comes to sudden extreme heat waves, communities cope better if they have been through one before.
A new study by researchers in Britain looks at which places are most at risk from a heat wave, focusing on those that have not suffered an extreme hot spell since at least 1959 and so may not be as prepared.
Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg all make the list, as do parts of China and developing nations like Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea.
As the planet warms, the range of possible temperatures that many places can experience has expanded. Scorching heat that would once have counted as unusual is becoming more common.
But the weather has always varied a great deal, and the most exceptional events are ones that, by definition, people haven’t experienced very often.
The study looks only at maximum temperatures, which aren’t the only factor that can make heat waves devastating.
Humidity is also important, as are sweltering overnight temperatures, which eliminate opportunities for people to cool down from oppressive daytime conditions.