Climate change is making extreme heat increasingly unbearable in some regions

A peer-reviewed study reports that days when extreme heat stops people from doing routine outdoor tasks have roughly doubled over the past 75 years, and more than a third of the global population now lives in areas where heat heavily affects daily life.

A new peer-reviewed study finds that extreme heat is restricting ordinary outdoor activities for many people more often than in the past. Researchers analyzed heat and humidity records from 1950 through 2024 and used the United Nations' Human Development Index to assess vulnerability. On average, adults aged 65 and older now lose roughly a month a year when heat prevents routine tasks, and younger adults lose time as well. The newsletter also reports that a commercial satellite company has delayed some imagery over concern it could be used tactically in conflict zones. Key findings: - The number of days when extreme heat prevents routine outdoor tasks has roughly doubled over the past 75 years. - People aged 65 and older experience about one month per year on average when heat restricts everyday activities. - More than one-third of the global population lives in regions where heat severely affects daily life. - Researchers used temperature and humidity records from 1950–2024 and the UN Human Development Index as a measure of vulnerability. - A commonly cited wet-bulb threshold for human survivability is about 35 degrees Celsius. - Planet Labs has extended a delay on some commercial satellite imagery in parts of the Middle East and expanded the area under temporary monitoring. Summary: The study indicates growing limits on ordinary outdoor life for many people, especially older adults, and identifies broad geographic increases in those limits. Undetermined at this time.