As heat waves loom, scientists wonder how humans will adapt
Key takeaways
- Temperatures are set to soar in the US around the July 4 holiday, a week after Europe struck new records.
- The national weather service, DWD, reported that Germany had never experienced such intense heat for such a long stretch so early in the year.
- A heat wave like this, with daytime temperatures well above 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) and nights when the thermometer doesn't drop below 20 C, places enormous strain on the human body.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Temperatures are set to soar in the US around the July 4 holiday, a week after Europe struck new records. With experts predicting more intense and more frequent heat waves in the future, can our bodies adapt?
https://p.dw.com/p/5GR1o People may be able to get used to some heat, but 'this rapid pace of change is beyond what ecosystems and humans can adapt to,' says physician Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann Image: Carsten Koall/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement Late June brought record-breaking temperatures to France, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Germany. The national weather service, DWD, reported that Germany had never experienced such intense heat for such a long stretch so early in the year.
Now, large parts of the central and eastern United States are also living under heat warnings heading into the July 4 holiday weekend, with extreme heat expected to push temperatures as high as 100 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8-46.1 C) across much of the region.