Heat wave: understand the global phenomenon and extreme impacts

What are heat storms and how do they affect the planet?#

Heat waves are no longer sporadic and isolated events, transforming instead into massive heat storms that cover vast expanses of the globe for long periods of time. Experts point out that these giant phenomena affect almost the entire planet, bringing severe and disastrous consequences for modern society and the environment across different continents.

Recent phenomena have demonstrated an impressive scale, with prolonged episodes lasting hundreds of days and reaching a large part of the Earth's surface, connecting various tragedies. This scenario clearly highlights the ongoing climate transformation and the urgent need for new scientific approaches to monitor and understand the severity of these high temperatures.

What are the main causes and how does the phenomenon work?#

The significant increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of these heat waves is directly associated with the continuous and growing emission of greenhouse gases into the Earth's atmosphere. The concentration of these pollutants has grown sharply over recent decades, intensifying global warming and expanding the area of the planet susceptible to extreme events.

In addition, large-scale natural climate factors, such as the El Niño phenomenon, contribute significantly to the periodic warming of ocean waters and further amplify the occurrence of these extreme temperature episodes in various regions of the world, worsening local and global outcomes.

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What are the impacts of extreme heat on health and work?#

Excessive and prolonged heat poses a direct and alarming risk to billions of workers worldwide, resulting in tens of millions of occupational injuries and thousands of deaths annually. Continuous exposure to heat stress drastically affects physical performance, economic productivity, and the bodily integrity of professionals in various activities.

Informal workers, migrants, and those working outdoors face enormous daily difficulties in stopping their activities due to the imminent risk of income loss or punishment, highlighting the urgency of adequate labor protections and safe conditions that preserve human life.

How should governments and companies prevent occupational risks?#

Governments have a fundamental and non-negotiable role in establishing enforceable regulatory standards that consider multiple environmental factors in daily labor, such as relative air humidity, thermal radiation, and required physical exertion, moving beyond the limited view that assesses only isolated temperatures.

In turn, companies need to adopt concrete and immediate preventive strategies, including rigorous control of heat sources, the constant supply of drinking water, the adjustment of work shifts, and the guarantee of regular breaks for employees' thermal recovery.

Frequently asked questions#

What is a heat storm?#

It is a concept developed to describe giant heat waves that cover at least 1% of the planet's surface at their peak, representing large-scale extreme weather events.

How does extreme heat affect workers?#

Excessive heat can cause heat stress, exhaustion, severe heatstroke, acute kidney injury, as well as millions of occupational injuries and thousands of deaths annually worldwide.

What measures should companies adopt against heat at work?#

Companies must control heat sources, improve ventilation and shading, adjust shifts, provide drinking water, and guarantee regular breaks for employees' thermal recovery.

Does El Niño influence heat waves?#

Yes, the El Niño phenomenon, which is characterized by the periodic warming of equatorial Pacific waters, can intensify extreme heat events and the extent of these waves.

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Sources

1. The largest heat wave ever recorded swept 85% of the globe for 367 days; learn more
2. Heat storms multiply and now reach almost the entire Earth
3. Occupational heat increases risks of injuries and deaths - Afya Portal