Heat stroke and heat exhaustion symptoms
Excessively hot temperatures can cause both heat exhaustion and heatstroke. The two are different, but the former is a precursor to the latter. For signs of heat exhaustion, here is what you should look out for:
- Feeling faint or dizzy
- Excessive sweating
- Clammy skin
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
On the other hand, if you or someone near you are suffering from heat stroke, the symptoms are:
- Confusion
- No sweating
- Temperature over 40C(104F) with hot, dry skin
- Nausea or vomiting
- Losing consciousness, convulsions or seizures
Just under 100 million people across the US will be waking up to extreme heat warnings on Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Much of the heat is concentrated in the southeastern portion of the US, from Louisiana to Arizona to southern California. Parts of southern Florida are also under heat advisories.
Temperatures are expected to be consistently in the triple digits Fahrenheit (above 37C) until at least mid-week, especially in the desert and in the heart of Texas. Evenings are also expected to be unusually warm, offering little respite for people.
In some places, the heat is forecast to surpass previous records. Phoenix, Arizona is likely to register its hottest week ever.
Authorities are cautioning Americans to “take the heat seriously”.
“Temperatures will reach levels that would pose a health risk, and be potentially deadly, to anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” the NWS says.
Heat is the leading weather-related killer in the US, the agency adds. More than 700 people are estimated to die each year from heat-related factors.
Extreme weather is becoming more frequent and more intense in many places because of climate change.
Even a small increase in average temperatures makes a big difference.
This is because the whole distribution of daily temperatures shifts to warmer levels, making hotter days more likely and more extreme.
Scientists use computer simulations to judge whether extreme weather events have been made more likely by warming caused by humans.
For example, a record-breaking heatwave across Spain, Portugal, and northwest Africa in April was made at least 100 times more likely by climate change, according to the World Weather Attribution Network (WWA).
Heatwaves are also becoming longer and more intense.
This can happen through “heat domes” – an area of high pressure where hot air is pushed down and trapped in place, causing temperatures to soar over large areas.
One theory suggests higher temperatures in the Arctic – which has warmed more than four times faster than the global average – are causing strong winds called the jet stream to slow and increasing the likelihood of heat domes.
Source- BBC
