Regional variation in the role of humidity on city-level heat-related mortality
The rising humid heat is regarded as a severe threat to human survivability, but the proper integration of humid heat into heat-health alerts is still being explored. Using state-of-the-art epidemiological and climatological datasets, we examined the association between multiple heat stress indicators (HSIs) and daily human mortality in 739 cities worldwide. Notable differences were observed in the long-term trends and timing of heat events detected by HSIs. Air temperature (Tair) predicts heat-related mortality well in cities with a robust negative Tair-relative humidity correlation (CT-RH). However, in cities with near-zero or weak positive CT-RH, HSIs considering humidity provide enhanced predictive power compared to Tair. Furthermore, the magnitude and timing of heat-related mortality measured by HSIs could differ largely from those associated with Tair in many cities. Our findings provide important insights into specific regions where humans are vulnerable to humid heat and can facilitate the further enhancement of heat-health alert systems.
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | artículo biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford University Press
2024-08
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| Subjects: | Urban climate, Climate change, heat stress, Humidity, Mortality, Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages, Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10261/366772 https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85201068263 |
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