Is it just me, or is it warm in here?!? ?
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science.
Temperatures are heating up! According to NASA, the Earth’s global temperature has warmed two degrees since the eighteen eighties. BUT, what does two degrees REALLY mean?
Global temperature averages are calculated by combining temperature changes from locations all over the world. Some places could be warmer while others are cooler. Colin Raymond from Columbia University and Tom Matthews from Loughborough University wondered, where do the biggest temperature fluctuations occur?
To find out, they analyzed temperature changes at nearly eight thousand sources worldwide!
Results? It’s clear geography matters! In humid regions like coastlines, the heat index exceeded one hundred sixty degrees! This surpasses conditions humans can survive in.
During the last forty years, extreme humid heat events doubled in frequency! These lethal heat conditions are happening DECADES before experts predicted they would.
Raymond’s model predicts that more frequent and severe heat is in our forecast.
Better stock up on sunscreen!! And a big floppy hat.