Now a days, temperature is increasing day by day due to which it is showing so much harmful effects in our environment. It is now becoming very hard as it affecting us, animals as well as flora and fauna. This is only result of this as we if we will interfere with environment then environment will also not show you its power.Human activities (primarily the burning of fossil fuels) have fundamentally increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere, warming the planet. Natural drivers, without human intervention, would push our planet toward a cooling period. This is also one of the effect of increasing global warming as it will trap the heat inside the earth once it enter its atmosphere because of those greenhouse gases which is increased in the environment because of the excessive use of resources.
It also even cause heat waves to come to various parts of the countries. A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual weather in the area and relative to normal temperatures for the season. Temperatures that people from a hotter climate consider normal can be called a heat wave in a cooler area if they are outside the normal climate pattern for that area.
Severe heat waves have caused catastrophic crop failures, thousands of deaths from hyperthermia, and widespread power outages due to increased use of air conditioning. A heat wave is considered extreme weather that can be a natural disaster, and a danger because heat and sunlight may overheat the human body. Heat waves can usually be detected using forecasting instruments so that a warning call can be issued.
What are reasons of the increasing temperature?
- Humans are increasingly influencing the climate and the earth's temperature by burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests and farming livestock.This adds enormous amounts of greenhouse gases to those naturally occurring in the atmosphere, increasing the greenhouse effect and global warming.
- Many of these greenhouse gases occur naturally, but human activity is increasing the concentrations of some of them in the atmosphere, in particular:
- carbon dioxide(CO2)
- methane
- nitrous oxide
- fluorinated gases
- These gases are increasing due to:
- Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
- Cutting down forests (deforestation):- Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. When they are cut down, that beneficial effect is lost and the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, adding to the greenhouse effect.
- Increasing livestock farming:- Cows and sheep produce large amounts of methane when they digest their food.
- Fertilisers containing nitrogen produce nitrous oxide emissions.
- Fluorinated gases are emitted from equipment and products that use these gases. Such emissions have a very strong warming effect, up to 23 000 times greater than CO2.
Effects of heat waves
- Agriculture:- It is not possible to cultivate crops easily due to such temperature as it will require more water, more care and need to work hard to that land for that.
- Wildfires:-If a heat wave occurs during a drought, which dries out vegetation, it can contribute to bushfires and wildfires.
- Infrastructure:-Heat waves can and do cause roads and highways to buckle and melt, water lines to burst, and power transformers to detonate, causing fires. Heat waves can also damage railroads, such as buckling and kinking rails, which can lead to slower traffic, delays, and even cancellations of service when rails are too dangerous to traverse by trains.
- Power outages:-Heat waves often lead to electricity spikes due to increased air conditioning use, which can create power outages, exacerbating the problem.
- It also causes dehydration in our body if we do not drink much water
- Psychological and sociological effects:-In addition to physical stress, excessive heat causes psychological stress, to a degree which affects performance, and is also associated with an increase in violent crime. High temperatures are associated with increased conflict both at the interpersonal level and at the societal level. In every society, crime rates go up when temperatures go up, particularly violent crimes such as assault, murder, and rape. Furthermore, in politically unstable countries, high temperatures are an aggravating factor that lead toward civil wars.
- Heat also has important indirect health effects. Heat conditions can alter human behavior, the transmission of diseases, health service delivery, air quality, and critical social infrastructure such as energy, transport, and water.
- Rapid rises in heat gain due to exposure to hotter than average conditions compromises the body’s ability to regulate temperature and can result in a cascade of illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and hyperthermia.
How to treat health related issues?
During heat waves people are susceptible to three heat-related conditions. Here’s how to recognize and respond to them.A. How to Recognize and Treat Heat Cramps
- Heat cramps are muscle spasms, often in the abdomen, arms or calves, caused by a large loss of salt and water in the body.
- What to look for:
- Heavy sweating during intense exercise
- Muscle pain or spasms
- What to do:
- Stop physical activity and move the person to a cool place
- Have the person drink water or a sports drink
- Instruct the person to wait for cramps to go away before resuming physical activity
- Note:- Get medical help right away if cramps last longer than 1 hour.
- Heat exhaustion is a severe heat-related illness requiring emergency medical treatment.
- What to look for:
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Brief fainting (passing out)
- What to do:
- Move the person to a cool place
- Loosen their clothes
- Put cool, wet cloths on their body, use misting and fanning, or help them take a cool bath
- Have the person sip water
- Note:- Get medical help right away if:
- Vomiting occurs
- Symptoms get worse
- Symptoms last longer than 1 hour
- Confusion develops
- Heat stroke is the most serious medical condition caused by extreme heat. It requires immediate emergency treatment. It can result in death without immediate medical attention.
- What to look for:
- High body temperature (104°F or higher)
- Hot, red, dry or damp skin
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness (passing out)
- What to do:
- Call 911 right away — heat stroke is a medical emergency, then:Move the person to a cooler place
- Help lower the person's temperature with a cool or cold bath, misting, fanning or applying cool cloths, if a bath is not available.
- Do not give the person anything to drink.
How to be safe from these heat waves?(Precautions)
- Learn how to be hydrated?
- Drinking enough water is one of the most important things you can do to prevent heat-related illness. An average person needs to drink about three-quarters of a gallon of fluid daily.
- Stay away from sugary, caffeinated and alcoholic drinks.
- In general, eating meals and snacks throughout the day with adequate water intake is enough to maintain electrolytes and replace salt lost when you sweat.
- Doing following things to keep your home cool
- Cover windows with drapes or shades.
- Weather-strip doors and windows.
- Use window reflectors, such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard, to reflect heat back outside.
- Add insulation to keep the heat out.
- Use a powered attic ventilator or attic fan to regulate the heat level of your attic by clearing hot air.
- Install window air conditioners and insulate around them.
- Stay cool
- Stay cool indoors: Stay in an air-conditioned place as much as possible.
- Wear appropriate clothing: Choose lightweight, light-colored, and loose-fitting clothing.
- Don't use an electric fan when the indoor air temperature is over 95°F. Using a fan can be more harmful than helpful when indoor air temperatures are hotter than your body temperature. Fan use may cause your body to gain heat instead of losing it. Focus on staying hydrated, taking a cool shower or bath to cool your body, shutting out the sun and heat with curtains, and moving to an airconditioned place to cool off.
- Use your stove and oven less.
- Schedule outdoor work and other activities carefully: Try to limit your outdoor activity to when it's coolest, such as morning and evening hours. Rest often in shady areas so that your body has a chance to recover.
- Cut down on exercise during the heat.
- When outdoors, protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen that says "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection."
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