By Surabhi Gupa
Delhi: In the summer season in India in India, health experts and environmental observers focus more on a metric thermal index, which is better referred to than “sensible temperature” and is naturally more relevant and possibly more life-saving.
The heat index – apart from fundamental temperature measurement – takes into account at least two important weather -related elements: temperature and humidity and expresses this in relation to the temperature – how hot it feels for a person. There is an integrated overview of heat stress with serious effects on public health, especially in a warming world.
“While the air temperature tells us how hot it is, it does not show how depressing or dangerous heat really becomes,” says Sn Mishra, a climate expert and professor at the Teri School of Advanced Studies (Teri SAS), who talks to ETV Bharat. “The heat index captures the combined effects of temperature and humidity, which together determine how effectively our body can cool down by evaporation of welding.”
The human body essentially escapes sweating with overheating. High humidity slows down the evaporation of sweat and thus affects this natural cooling mechanism. “This can be dangerous, even fatal,” warns Mishra. “The most important metric that can be observed is the temperature of the wet bulbs, which is sufficient for the lowest temperature air due to the evaporation cooling. Or hydration. ”
This interaction is of crucial importance in tropical and subtropical regions such as India, in which the high humidity is associated with excessive temperatures. Although parts of India, such as the dry interiors of Rajasthan, appear less threatening due to dry heat, sudden changes in the moisture wind pattern before the monsoon, e.g. In the meantime, the coastal and east regions such as West Bengal and Odisha routinely report on a high humidity, whereby the high-temperature level is surprisingly unbearable in no time.
According to Mishra, the heat index above 40 degrees Celsius would require caution, while everything over 46 degrees could be described as dangerous. In retrospect, the wet pear threshold of 35 degrees could be regarded as the ultimate physiological redline. “The human body can no longer cool down on this point. There is the real danger there,” he said.
Similar concerns were reproduced by the environmentalist Manu Singh, who has been added that the heat index provides a much more precise prediction of morbidity and mortality in connection with the heat as an air temperature.
“Empirical evidence show that the heat index due to heat -related diseases, especially with high humidity, in which evaporation cooling is affected, better correlated with hospital admissions and death,” Singh told ETV Bharat.
However, Singh also pointed out that the current model for calculating the heat index does not take into account the sun's radiation or the wind, which can significantly change the detection of heat. For example, strong winds can help improve welding evaporation and cool the body more effectively, while direct sunlight feels much hotter than the calculated index suggests.
For this reason, advice for public health has started to emphasize the heat index more. Moderate values, approximately between 29 ° C and 32 ° C, can cause early physiological stress, and the values above 41 ° C are associated with serious risks such as heat creation and heat stitch. “These figures are not only statistics, but also direct indicators of public security,” warned Singh.
The effects are even more serious in the rapidly urbanized regions of India. Concrete, asphalt and steel-catching heat and prevent the night cooling, which creates the effect of Urban Heat Island (UHI). “Cities are particularly susceptible,” said Singh. “They not only strengthen the daily heat, but also keep the warmth overnight, which offer the residents little relief.”
To combat this, Singh emphasized the need for climate -conscious urban planning. “Interventions such as reflective building materials, green roofs, shaded sidewalks and expanded vegetative coverage can make a large contribution to reducing the local heat indexpegel,” he said. Natural ventilation, water and open public spaces can also help the cities to manage the heat more effectively.
In addition to direct measures, both Singh and Mishra emphasized the importance of long -term adaptation in view of climate change. Rising global temperatures cause more frequent and more intensive heat waves, and increasing atmospheric moisture increases the humidity. As a result, high temperature events with high wet pears are becoming increasingly common, and the spread of human tolerance limits faster than ever.
“These are not just hotter summer,” warned Mishra. “We are dangerously moist conditions that were once rare, but are now becoming new normal. This shift is a serious threat to public health, especially for endangered groups such as children, older people and those who work outdoors.”
The provisions in the workplace must adapt accordingly, argued Mishra. “There must be better planning for workers outdoors in order to ensure the breaks, access to shade and moisture, especially during the peak afternoon hours when heat index values are highest.”