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Humans approaching limits of ‘survivability’ as sweltering heatwaves engulf parts of Asia
Heavy showers blanketed northern India over the weekend, offering some much needed respite from a blistering heatwave that ravaged the region. But with mercury levels expected to remain high in other areas, the soaring heat has highlighted how millions in the world’s most populous nation are among the most vulnerable to the effects of the climate crisis.
The weekend downpour in Uttar Pradesh was a welcome change for the northern state of 220 million after temperatures in some areas soared to 47 degrees Celsius (116 Fahrenheit) last week, sickening hundreds with heat-related illnesses.
On Sunday, temperatures dropped acutely in Lucknow to around 32 degrees Celsius (87 Fahrenheit), as the capital, along with other cities, experienced the first rain during this year’s monsoon season. Video broadcast on local television showed people getting soaked in the rain and commuters navigating waterlogged roads.
The rain in Uttar Pradesh is likely to continue this week, bringing cooler temperatures to the region. But in the neighboring state of Bihar, unrelenting heat has extended into its second week, forcing schools to shutter until Wednesday.
At least 44 people have died from heat-related illness across the state in recent weeks, a senior health official told CNN, but the number could be much higher as authorities struggle to accurately assess how many people have died from heatstroke.
Temperatures are expected to slightly cool over the coming days, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), however experts say the climate crisis is only going to cause more frequent and longer heatwaves in the future, testing India’s ability to adapt.
“India has a history of dealing with heat… There are going to be millions affected,” said Dr. Chandni Singh, Senior Researcher at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements, adding the number of deaths that will be result from staggering heat depends on how prepared health systems are to deal with it.
“If health systems aren’t functioning, when you don’t have adequate emergency services, it will lead to (more deaths),” she said. “But what we know for certain is we are going to be approaching limits to survivability by mid-century.”
India is not the only country in the region to experience such sweltering heat in recent weeks.
Temperatures in northeast China are expected to remain high in the coming days, with mercury levels rising above 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in certain cities, according to its meteorological observatory.
In Pakistan’s capital Islamabad, temperatures soared to 39 degrees Celsius (102 Fahrenheit) last week before weekend rain brought some relief to the region.
And studies warn the impact of extreme heat could be devastating.
Prolonged heat
India often experiences heatwaves during the summer months of May and June, but in recent years, they have arrived earlier and become more prolonged.
Last April, India experienced a heatwave which saw temperatures in capital New Delhi go beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for seven consecutive days. In some states, the heat closed schools, damaged crops and put pressure on energy supplies, as officials warned residents to remain indoors and keep hydrated.
India is among the countries expected to be worst affected by the climate crisis, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), potentially affecting 1.4 billion people nationwide.
And experts say the the cascading effects of this will be devastating.
A study published in April by the University of Cambridge said heatwaves in India are putting “unprecedented burdens” on India’s agriculture, economy and public health systems, stalling efforts to reach its development goals.
“Long-term projections indicate that Indian heatwaves could cross the survivability limit for a healthy human resting in the shade by 2050,” the study said. “They will impact the labor productivity, economic growth, and quality of life of around 310 - 480 million people. Estimates show a 15% decrease in outdoor working capacity during daylight hours due to extreme heat by 2050.”
Singh said India has already taken steps to mitigate the impacts of high temperatures, including altering working hours for some outdoor workers and increasing heat education.
But the effects of extreme heat will impact our environment, energy consumption and eco-systems, she warned.
“Typically in a heatwave, you also see related water scarcity and droughts. You see the failure of the electricity grid. These risks start stressing the entire system,” she said. “Crop productivity will get affected. There will be huge impacts on other animals. When we come up with heat reduction plans, these are all things that are important to remember.”
Extremes of weather
India’s heatwave in the north came as heavy rain battered the country’s northeast, with pre-monsoon rain in Assam state triggering landslides and heavy flooding.
Nearly half a million people have been affected after heavy showers battered the region, turning roads into rivers and submerging entire villages. The rain in Assam came one week after after tropical cyclone Biparjoy hit India’s west coast, ripping trees and toppling electricity poles.
Elsewhere in the region, Pakistan also saw heavy rain in capital Islamabad over the weekend, bringing some relief from the high temperatures the week prior.
The rain may cause urban flooding in key cities, the country’s weather forecasting center said, advising farmers to manage their crops and encouraging travelers to remain cautious.
China is expected to see soaring temperatures across several cities, including capital Beijing.
Last week, Beijing’s temperature soared above 41 degrees Celsius (105.8 degrees Fahrenheit), setting a new record for the capital’s hottest day in June.
According to the country’s meteorological observatory, Beijing, Tianjin, Heibei, Shandong will “continue to be baked by high temperatures.”
注释：
respite: n; v
1. n表示" 暂缓；缓刑"，means "a pause from doing something (as work);"，如：A welcome respite from hard work. 刻苦工作后令人愉快的短暂休息.The director gave the cast a short respite before the next scene. 导演让全体演员在下一场开始之前稍事休息。
2. v表示" 延迟；推延"，means "postpone the punishment of a convicted criminal, such as an executio"，如：Being found quick with child, she was respited for about seven months. 经过查明的确是有喜以后，法庭允许将处刑期延缓七个月。
blistering: adj
表示"酷热的；起泡的"，means "hot enough to raise (or as if to raise) blisters"，如：I endured the blistering sun with perseverance and tenacity. 我用毅力和任性忍受着毒辣的阳光。
ravage: v
表示" 毁坏；破坏；掠夺"，means "cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly"，如：The forests were ravaged by fire. 森林毁于火灾。I will gain strange powers in this ravage.于是我在这毁灭中获得诡异的力量。
mercury: n
表示"水银”,因常用在温度计中,故引申为“温度"，还有“活力,活泼,精神,元气”的意思，如：He has no mercury in him.他没有精神。
mercury level: 表示“含汞量水平”，如：They should avoid big predatory fish such as shark, swordfish, tilefish or king mackerel, which have higher mercury levels. 应避免食用大型食肉鱼如鲨鱼、鱼、头鱼及国王鲭，这些鱼含汞量很高。
populous： adj
表示"人口多的；人口稠密的"，means "densely populated"，如：London is the most populous area of Britain. 伦敦是国外人口最稠密的地区。
monsoon: n
表示"雨季"，means "rainy season in southern Asia when the southwestern monsoon blows, bringing heavy rains"，如：Travelling is much more difficult during the monsoon. 在雨季出行要难得多。
waterlogged: adj
表示" 浸满水的；"，means "(of soil) soft and watery"，如：The match had to be abandoned because the pitch was waterlogged. 那场比赛因场地浸满了水只好取消。
unrelenting: adj
表示" 不屈不挠的；不松懈的"，means "never-ceasing;"，如：Her unrelenting efforts made the project a success. 她坚持不懈地努力使计划获得了成功。
shutter: v; n
1. v表示"关上窗板；停业"，means "close with shutters"，如：The house was empty and shuttered.这所房子是空的，窗板都关上了。The company shuttered its Hong Kong investment banking business a year ago. 该公司一年前停止了香港投资银行的业务。
2. n表示" 百叶窗；遮门；快门"，means "a hinged blind for a window;a mechanical device on a camera that opens and closes to control the time of a photographic exposure"，如：The shutter was broken.百叶窗坏了。Can you repair the shutter? 你能修快门吗？
heatstroke: n
表示" 中暑"，means "collapse caused by exposure to excessive heat"，如：You'll suffer heatstroke running about at noon under the sun.
大中午在太防底下跑来跑去会中暑的。
Meteorological: adj
表示" 气象的"，means "of or pertaining to atmospheric phenomena, especially weather and weather conditions"，如：The meteorological study of climates and their phenomena.气候学对气候及其引起的现象进行的气象研究.
staggering: adj
表示"惊人的"，means "so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm"，如：The Asian countries are getting westernized at a staggering rate. 亚洲地方正以惊人的速度变得西方化。
hydrate: v
表示"使吸入水分"，means "supply water or liquid to in order to maintain a healthy balance"，如：The bicyclists must be hydrated frequently. 自行车运动员必须频繁地喝水。
cascade: v; n
1. v表示" 瀑布似地落下"，means "rush down in big quantities, like a cascade"，如：When it rained, water would cascade down the window.下雨的时候，雨水像瀑布一样沿着窗沿泻下。
2. n表示"瀑布；"，means "a small waterfall or series of small waterfalls"，如：The water formed a cascade down the mountain.水沿山泻下，形成一条瀑布。
scarcity: n
表示" 缺乏；不足；缺少"，means "a small and inadequate amount"，如：This scarcity of non-grain foods exists not only in Sichuan but in many other places as well. 不仅是四川，还有好多地方都有这个缺乏副食品的问题。
batter: v
表示" 猛击；打坏；摧毁"，means " hit sb/sth hard many times; damage, break"，如：Someone is battering at the door.有人在使劲敲门A thousand rocket bombs would not batter it down. 一千发火箭弹，也没法将它摧毁。
topple: v
表示"(使） 倒塌"，means "cause sb/sth to fall from power or authority;overthrow"，如：That Building is going to topple down.那幢建筑物摇摇欲坠。He toppled his opponent. 他摔倒对方。
中文简要说明：
国外北方省（Uttar Pradesh）上周一度飙至摄氏47度，近几周来至少有44人因高温引发的相关疾病丧命。3月一份剑桥研究指出，热浪将导致国外在2050年超过「生存极限」。
国外有线电视新闻网（CNN）报导，热浪席卷国外，有2.2亿人口的北方省上周高温飙至摄氏47度，数百人换上与酷热相关的疾病，近几周来至少有44人因酷热丧命，不过官员表示伤亡人数可能更高，因为当局难以评估确切多少人伤于中暑。
事实上每年的5、3月，国外本来就会经历热浪，只不过近几年来热浪愈来愈早到来，延续的时间也更久。例如去年（2023）年3月，首都新德里一连七天飙至摄氏40度高温，高温也让部分省停课、农作物损害，官员呼吁居民待在室内，多补充水分。
联合国「政府间气候变迁问题小组」（Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC）警告，国外将会是受气候危机影响最巨的地方之一。
剑桥大学（University of Cambridge）3月发表的一份研究指出，热浪已对国外的农业、经济及公卫系统构成「前所未见的负荷」，长期预测显示，至2050年，国外热浪将可能让在阴凉处休息的健康成人也跨越「生存极限」（survivability limit），届时将影响劳动生产力、经济成长及3.1至4.8亿人口的生活质量，据估计，至2050年，由于极端高温，白天时段的户外工作力将下降15%。
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