Overall heat stress may affect over 1.2 billion people by 2100: Researchers

New York: Heat stress from extreme heat and humidity will annually affect areas now home to 1.2 billion people by 2100, assuming current greenhouse gas emissions, say, researchers.

Rising global temperatures are increasing exposure to heat stress, which harms human health, agriculture, the economy, and the environment, the study said.

“When we look at the risks of a warmer planet, we need to pay particular attention to combined extremes of heat and humidity, which are especially dangerous to human health,” said study researcher Robert E. Kopp from Rutgers University in the US.

According to the researchers, heat stress is caused by the body’s inability to cool down properly through sweating. Body temperature can rise rapidly, and high temperatures may damage the brain and other vital organs.

Heat stress ranges from milder conditions like heat rash and heat cramps to heat exhaustion, the most common type. (IANS)

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