Due to climate change, in recent years around 2.4 billion people have suffered at least two more weeks a year from excessively hot nights, with temperatures above 25 degrees Celsius, which have contributed to sleep deprivation and health problems, according to a new analysis by the non-profit organization Climate Central, which highlights the risk of “an epidemic of sleep deprivation, mental health problems, and acute and chronic illnesses caused by climate change. It is proven – the study emphasizes – that night temperatures above 25 °C and 20 °C, or even 18 °C, can negatively affect sleep and health”. Climate Central analyzed how anthropogenic climate change has caused the increase in night temperatures and how many people have been affected each year between 2014 and 2023.
Italy among the most affected countries
Italy “is in the top 3 of the most affected European countries with two additional weeks of nights above 18°C, two additional weeks above 20°C, and 3 additional nights above 25°C,” reports the study, which also analyzed some large cities: “Naples saw 6 additional nights above 18°C, 20 additional nights above 20°C, and 23 additional nights above 25°C due to climate change; Milan had 61 additional nights above 18°C, 47 above 20°C, and 4 additional nights above 25°C due to climate change; Turin recorded 57 additional nights above 18°C due to climate change; Rome had 24 additional nights above 18°C and 30 additional nights above 20°C due to climate change.”
The risks
“High night temperatures are particularly dangerous because they prevent body temperature from decreasing and thus allowing us to recover the strength lost during the day – the research highlights – It therefore increases the risk of stroke, other cardiovascular conditions and mortality.. Nighttime heat significantly reduces the quality and duration of sleep worldwide, resulting in a wide range of negative effects on children’s physical and mental health, cognitive function, learning ability and brain development. Short and poor quality sleep can also shorten life expectancy and increase the risk of accidents and personal injuries.“.
“Nighttime heat – continues the analysis by Climate Central – has a disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable groups: infants, the elderly and pregnant women. The effects of high nighttime temperatures also vary across the world and within each country, lower-income populations are disproportionately affected, partly due to differences in housing quality and the availability of air conditioning. The effects of nighttime heat can be further exacerbated in cities due to the heat island phenomenon, which can result in temperatures in urban areas being significantly higher than in surrounding peripheral and rural areas”.
This analysis uses temperatures measured outside buildings rather than inside them. “An outside temperature of 20 or 25°C can feel higher inside homes due to a variety of factors – building types that are more prone to overheating, lack of ventilation and trapped heat. For the homeless, displaced, in refugee camps or in conflict zones, the scorching heat caused by climate change at night further exacerbates already precarious and dangerous living conditions, with many forced to sleep in makeshift structures or tents that trap heat,” the analysis continues.
Heat waves
“These findings – the research concludes – come against the backdrop of ongoing heatwaves around the world that are breaking records and becoming more intense and more likely due to climate change, resulting primarily from the use of fossil fuels. June 2024 was the thirteenth consecutive month with the highest temperatures recorded – an increase of 1.6°C above pre-industrial levels – after eleven consecutive months in which global temperatures were 1.5°C higher than in 1850.”
For Michelle Young, Climate Impacts Research Associate at Climate Central, “from Indonesia to Iraq to Italy, our analysis shows that Climate change is leading to higher nighttime temperatures. Every year, around 2.4 billion people are experiencing nights with temperatures above 25°C for at least two additional weeks due to climate change over the past decade. These findings are another stark reminder of the anthropogenic impact of a warming world, which is disrupting so many lives with hot nights, sleep deprivation and the resulting physical and mental health impacts.”
“So long as 2024 will likely be the hottest year on recordit has never been more crucial to stop using fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas and protect forests to prevent further increases in global temperatures,” concludes Young.
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