Heat Waves and Heat Dome
·
Why in News
§ The Pacific North-west, known for its moderate climate, is experiencing a “historic” heat wave. The heat wave is being described as a “Heat Dome”.
o It has stretched
emergency services, with at least 134 people dying suddenly since the last few
days in parts of Canada.
Heat Waves and Heat Dome
§ Heat Wave:
o A heat wave is a period
of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal maximum temperature that
lasts for more than two days.
o Heat waves can occur with
or without high humidity and have the potential to cover a large area, exposing
a high number of people to hazardous heat.
o Increasing Trend of Heat
Waves:
·
In
the past few decades, heat waves have become larger, affecting 25% more
land area in the Northern Hemisphere than they did in
1980.
·
Including
the ocean areas, heat waves have grown by 50%.
§ Heat Dome:
o A heat dome occurs when
the atmosphere traps hot ocean air like a lid or cap.
o As per National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), USA, a heat dome is
created when strong high-pressure atmospheric conditions combine with weather
patterns like La
Niña.
o They are more
likely to form during La Niña years like 2021, when waters are cool in
the eastern Pacific and warm in the western Pacific. creating vast areas of
sweltering.
o Duration of Heat Domes:
·
According
to NOAA, a heat dome typically lasts a week.
·
The
formation after a week becomes too bog to keep standing and falls over,
releasing the trapped air and ending the swelter.
§ Causes of Formation of
Heat Dome:
o Change in Ocean
Temperature: The
phenomenon begins when there is a strong change (or gradient) in ocean
temperatures.
·
In
the process known as convection, the gradient causes more warm
air, heated by the ocean surface, to rise over the ocean surface.
·
As
prevailing winds move the hot air east, the northern shifts of the jet stream
trap the air and move it toward land, where it sinks, resulting in heat
waves.
o Change in Atmospheric
Pressure: Heat
waves begin when high pressure in the atmosphere moves in and pushes
warm air toward the ground. This effect is fuelled by heat rising from
the ocean, creating an amplification loop.
·
The
high-pressure system pressing down on the ground expands vertically, forcing
other weather systems to change course.
·
It
even minimizes wind and cloud cover, making the air more stifling.
·
This
is also why a heat wave parks itself over an area for several days or longer.
o Climate Change: The rising
temperatures lead to hotter weather. Heat waves have been a regular phenomenon
on land.
·
However, global
warming has caused them to be hotter with a longer duration and an
increased frequency.
·
Scientists
studying the climate tend to agree that the heat waves occurring today are more
likely to be a result of climate change for which humans are responsible.
§ Impact of Heat Waves and
Heat Domes:
o Risk of Wildfires: The heat domes act
as fuel to wildfires, which destroys a lot of
land area every year in countries like the US.
o Prevents Cloud Formation: The condition
also prevents clouds from forming, allowing for more radiation
from the sun to hit the ground.
o Heat Strokes and Sudden
Fatalities: The
very high temperatures or humid conditions pose an elevated risk of heatstroke or heat
exhaustion.
·
Older people and people with chronic illness such as heart disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes are more
susceptible to heatstroke, as the body’s ability to regulate heat
deteriorates with age.
·
Houses
without air conditioners experience an unbearable rise in temperature of their
home which can lead to sudden deaths.
o Effect on Vegetation: The trapping of
heat can also damage crops, dry out vegetation and result
in droughts.
o Increased Energy Demands: The sweltering heat
wave also leads to rise in energy demand, especially electricity, leading to
pushing up rates.
o Power Related Issues: Heat waves are
often high mortality disasters.
·
Avoiding
heat-related disasters depends on the resilience of the electrical grid, which
can fail if electricity demand due to air conditioning use exceeds supply.
·
As
a result, there is the double risk of infrastructure failure and health
impacts.
Steps for Avoiding Heat
Waves
§ Individual Level:
o Staying Hydrated: Staying indoor and
at rest in a very dry room with about 10% relative humidity, and drinking water
constantly (for producing sweat), can help avoid overheating at temperatures as
high as 46℃.
·
However,
there is a limit to this, called the wet-bulb temperature, which
considers heat and humidity, beyond which humans cannot tolerate high
temperatures.
o Altering Workout
Routines: Exercising
early in the morning when it is still cool or in air conditioned indoor spaces.
·
Skipping
workout routines can also be considered given the extreme heat.
§ Public Level:
o Public Cooling Shelters: A number of
emergency cooling shelters can be opened so that people without domestic air
conditioning units can escape the heat.
·
Air-conditioned
rooms and buildings are the biggest help to people caught under a heat dome.
o Portable ACs: Portable
air-conditioning units, along with fans and even ice are also useful.
§ Long Term Solutions:
o Afforestation: Trees don’t just
provide much-needed shade for a sweaty city. The water evaporating from their
leaves can cool a neighborhood by a few degrees during the hottest periods.
·
Tree
leaves also absorb and filter local air pollution; heat waves can worsen urban
smog, which may put comorbids at risk.
o Replacing Dark Roofs: A big reason that
cities are so much hotter than rural areas is that they are covered by dark
roofs, roads and parking lots that absorb and retain heat.
·
Replacing
the dark surfaces with lighter more reflective materials will result in a
comparatively cooler environment.
o Preparing for the
Blackout: A
widespread blackout during a heat wave can leave millions of people without
electricity for fans or air-conditioners.
·
Smarter
grids and new forecasting tools could help electric utilities prepare for heat
waves.
·
Using
electronic controls to pre-cool buildings before temperatures peak in the
daytime.
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