Comment & Analysis
The Escalating Crisis
The UK witnessed an unprecedented heat event in June with the average mean temperature for the month breaking the previous record set in 1940 by 0.9°C [1]. Similar extreme heat events were observed in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. For example, Beijing, China, experienced June temperatures of at least 35°C for 13.2 days, the highest since the records began in 1961 [2].
Moreover, an exceptional marine heatwave has also been prevalent in the North Atlantic, with the ocean currently experiencing the highest surface water temperatures ever recorded for this time of year. Coastal areas in the UK have witnessed temperatures as much as 5°C above the seasonal norms [3].
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, has stated that “climate change is out of control” [4]. Between July 3rd and July 5th, the world’s average temperature was the hottest on record for three days in a row [5] and June 2023 was the warmest globally, surpassing the previous record set in 2019 by a significant margin of over 0.5°C [6]. Petteri Taalas, the Secretary-General of the UN's World Meteorological Organization, warned that the El Nino phenomenon, which has re-established itself this year, would further increase the “likelihood of breaking temperature records and triggering more extreme heat events” across the world [7].
Devastating Impacts and Alarming Statistics:
A recent study revealed that as many as 61,000 Europeans may have died during the heatwaves of last summer, shedding light on how many countries are unprepared for extreme heat events [8]. These deaths were either as a direct consequence of the high temperatures or caused by the heat aggravating underlying health conditions. Mediterranean countries, including Italy, Spain, and Germany, reported the highest number of heat-related deaths relative to their population size. One study also found that there were 56% more heat-related deaths in women, while more than half were in people over the age of 80 [9].
A heat dome event, similar to the one that occurred in western Canada in 2021 [10], has for the past few weeks gripped parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Tragically, at least a dozen people have already lost their lives due to heat-related causes in Texas and Louisiana, with the majority of deaths occurring in Texas' Webb County along the Mexican border [11]. Hospitals have seen a surge in heat-related emergency room visits and the record-breaking temperatures being experienced across the region are causing asphalt to melt, gas and coal fuelled power plants to fail, and a myriad of other impacts on infrastructure [12].
For our recent report looking at how industry can adapt to increasing temperatures and future heatwaves, we worked on a case study with experts at the Canadian Climate Institute to highlight the health and economic impacts of the 2021 heat dome event and referenced their ongoing work to quantify these impacts, funded by the Government of British Columbia (BC). This analysis was recently published and revealed that extreme heat could lead to 1,370 annual fatalities and hospitalise 6,000 people in BC by 2030 if essential infrastructure is not adapted accordingly [13]. The study also found that intense heatwaves could annually cost the province approximately $100 million in healthcare expenses and over $12 billion in lost lives by the end of the decade. The report highlighted the disjointed and uncoordinated response of the health system during the 2021 heat dome, which exacerbated distress. Critical healthcare equipment failed, hospitals became dangerously hot, and disaster planning protocols were underutilised. Workplace injuries across various sectors also surged by 180%, attributed to insufficient workplace cooling and a lack of awareness about the risks of heat.
An Urgent Call to Action
Last week’s publication or these stark statistics from Canada, along with the plethora of record-breaking heat events experienced around the globe in the past month and a half, have underscored the urgency of taking immediate action to address rising temperatures and heatwaves. The engineering profession must act immediately to help society mobilise and do the preparation required to adapt to the potential impacts on health, food and nutritional security, water supply, homes and workplaces, ecosystems, and economies. We need to work collaboratively with governments, public and private sector organisations, and communities to co-design and implement effective adaptation solutions to climate changed induced seasonal temperature rises and extreme heat events.
In response to this urgent need the Institution is convening its 1st International Conference-Workshop on Climate Adaptation and Resilience in London in September, bringing together engineers, representatives from allied professions, policy makers and civil society, from across the world to consider challenges and solutions, transfer knowledge internationally, identify gaps in knowledge and put in place plans and actions to address them. By joining forces, we can build the adaptative capacity needed and help ensure humans have the necessary resilience to live in a hotter world.
[1] https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2023/fingerprints-of-climate-change-on-june-temperature-records
[2] https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/how-is-extreme-weather-testing-chinas-climate-resilience-2023-07-05/
[3] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-66143682
[4] https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/07/un-climate-change-hottest-week-world?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2023-07-08&utm_campaign=Daily+Briefing+07+07+2023
[5] https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/global-temperatures-have-been-the-hottest-on-record-for-3-days-in-a-row
[6] Surface air temperature for June 2023 | Copernicus
[7] https://www.rfi.fr/en/science-and-technology/20230707-after-hottest-june-on-record-nations-must-brace-for-el-nino-extreme-weather
[8] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/61000-europeans-may-have-died-last-summers-heatwaves-experts-say-2023-07-10/
[9] https://www.carbonbrief.org/heat-related-deaths-56-higher-among-women-during-record-breaking-2022-european-summer/
[10] “Adapting Industry to Withstand Rising Temperatures and Future Heatwaves” Institution of Mechanical Engineers, April 2023
[11] https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-07-01/heat-waves-like-the-one-thats-killed-14-in-the-southern-us-are-becoming-more-frequent-and-enduring#:~:text=A%20heat%20dome%20that%20pressured,forecast%20in%20parts%20of%20Florida.
[12] https://www-forbes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.forbes.com/sites/anandgopal/2023/07/02/batteries-and-renewables-are-saving-texas-in-the-heat-wave/amp/
[13] https://climateinstitute.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/The-case-for-adapting-to-extreme-heat-costs-of-the-BC-heat-wave.pdf
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