Significant increase in extreme heat events along an urban–rural gradient

Abstract Persistent extreme heat events (PEHEs) exert a more negative impact on society, including agriculture, plant phenology, power production and human health, compared to general EHEs. The temporal and spatial characteristics of summer PEHEs in eastern China were analysed based on a daily maximum temperature dataset from 759 stations over the period of 1961–2018. The results show the following: Persistent distributions of PEHEs show that they are characterized by an exponential decay with a drop in the decay rate. In terms of spatial distribution, there is an apparent regional difference in the duration of PEHEs. North China is dominated by multi-frequency and short-duration EHEs, while South China is the opposite. PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai region mainly occur in June-July but mostly in July and August in South China. Strongly responding to global warming, the frequency and duration of PEHEs in North China have increased since the 1990s. However, the frequency of PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai region has shown opposite trends in June-July since the beginning of the 21st century. Affected by the atmospheric circulations, the regional differences in PEHE frequency are also apparent. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the PEHEs in North China and the Huanghuai area have shown an increasing trend in August. The short-term PEHEs in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and South China increased rapidly in the 2000s, while long-term PEHEs increased in the 2010s. This study implies that attention should be paid to not only the frequency of EH days but also to the persistence of EHE which is a key characteristic of damaging EH.

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Mapping vulnerability to extreme heat events: lessons from metropolitan Chicago

Journal of Environmental Planning and Management ◽

10.1080/09640568.2018.1462475 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 62 (6) ◽

pp. 1065-1088 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Bev Wilson ◽

Arnab Chakraborty

Keyword(s):

Extreme Heat ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

Mapping Vulnerability ◽

Heat Events

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Extreme Heat

10.1093/obo/9780199874002-0234 ◽

2021 ◽

Keyword(s):

Heat Wave ◽

Global Climate ◽

Geographic Location ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

The United States ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

Local Climate ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

The World ◽

Heat Events

Extreme heat events (EHEs) are periods of high temperatures and humidity that are considered to be unusual for a specific geographic location. For example, in 1995 an extended heat wave in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States was blamed for the deaths of 550 citizens. Most of the dead were elderly, poor individuals who may not have realized that heat could kill, or who had no means of mitigating the rising temperatures in their homes or any way to escape to a cooler environment. In 2003, Europe was subjected to an EHE that is estimated to have resulted in the deaths of 70,000, with 15,000 of those deaths in Paris, France. “Extreme heat” is a relative term. Individuals adapt to their local climate, so it is difficult to use an absolute number to describe the conditions meteorologists consider a relative change from past conditions. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines extreme heat as “summertime temperatures that are substantially hotter and/or more humid than average for location at that time of year.” According to the Public Health Institute’s Center for Climate Change, the state of California defines extreme heat days as those days above the 98th percentile of maximum temperatures based on 1961–1990 data for a specific location. Crucial to understanding extreme heat events is the collection of data about temperature and humidity. The US Global Change Research Program provides heat wave data spanning 1961 to 2018. The site links to a variety of programs related to global climate modeling. The National Resources Defense Council is a nongovernmental organization that has excellent maps which show change over time in the frequency of extreme heat events that overlay the human impact of these events. The National Centers for Environmental Information provides graphic data of current weather conditions along with lists of significant climate anomalies. The site has links to weather records and tools. All of these sites rely on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their data. There are equivalent agencies all over the world. The World Meteorological Organization, part of the United Nations, is also a valuable resource for data.

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Combined effects of air pollution and extreme heat events among ESKD patients within the Northeastern United States

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152481 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 152481

Author(s):

Richard V. Remigio ◽

Hao He ◽

Jochen Raimann ◽

Peter Kotanko ◽

Frank W. Maddux ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Air Pollution ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

Combined Effects ◽

Northeastern United States ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

Heat Events

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Regional changes in extreme heat events in China under stabilized 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming

Advances in Climate Change Research ◽

10.1016/j.accre.2020.08.003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 198-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gu-Wei ZHANG ◽

Gang ZENG ◽

Vedaste Iyakaremye ◽

Qing-Long YOU

Keyword(s):

Global Warming ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

Heat Events

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Increased hospital admissions associated with extreme-heat exposure in King County, Washington, 1990–2010

Reviews on Environmental Health ◽

10.1515/reveh-2014-0050 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Tania Busch Isaksen ◽

Michael G. Yost ◽

Elizabeth K. Hom ◽

You Ren ◽

Hilary Lyons ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Renal Failure ◽

Acute Renal Failure ◽

Pacific Northwest ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Heat Exposure ◽

Extreme Heat ◽

King County ◽

Extreme Heat Events ◽

Heat Events

AbstractIncreased morbidity and mortality have been associated with extreme heat events, particularly in temperate climates. Few epidemiologic studies have considered the impact of extreme heat events on hospitalization rates in the Pacific Northwest region. This study quantifies the historic (May to September 1990–2010) heat-morbidity relationship in the most populous Pacific Northwest County, King County, Washington. A relative risk (RR) analysis was used to explore the association between heat and all non-traumatic hospitalizations on 99th percentile heat days, whereas a time series analysis using a piecewise linear model approximation was used to estimate the effect of heat intensity on hospitalizations, adjusted for temporal trends and day of the week. A non-statistically significant 2% [95% CI: 1.02 (0.98, 1.05)] increase in hospitalization risk, on a heat day vs. a non-heat day, was noted for all-ages and all non-traumatic causes. When considering the effect of heat intensity on admissions, we found a statistically significant 1.59% (95% CI: 0.9%, 2.29%) increase in admissions per degree increase in humidex above 37.4°C. Admissions stratified by cause and age produced statistically significant results with both relative risk and time series analyses for nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure, and natural heat exposure hospitalizations. This study demonstrates that heat, expressed as humidex, is associated with increased hospital admissions. When stratified by age and cause of admission, the non-elderly age groups (<85 years) experience significant risk for nephritis and nephrotic syndromes, acute renal failure, natural heat exposure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma hospitalizations.

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