Climate collapse: NASA points to risk of lethal heat in different regions on Earth

NASA projections show that some regions of the planet could become uninhabitable due to global warming. Brazil is on the list!

For 12 months in a row (June 2023 to May 2024), the global average temperature reached a record value for the corresponding month, according to Copernicus Climate Change . In May 2024, the global average temperature was 0.65°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.52°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial average.

The global average temperature of the last 12 months (June 2023 to May 2024) is the highest on record, 0.75°C above the 1991-2020 average and 1.63°C above the pre-industrial average from 1850-1900.

Last year, every turn of the calendar increased the temperature and our planet is trying to tell us something, but we don't seem to be listening, said António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations.

The World Meteorological Organisation's (WMO) Annual Global Decadal Climate Update states that there is an 80% probability that at least one year between 2024 and 2028 will temporarily exceed 1.5°C, and a 47% probability that the average global temperature over the entire five-year period 2024-2028 exceeds 1.5°C above the pre-industrial era.

We are approaching climate collapse, says NASA

A study carried out by the American Space Agency (NASA) based on satellite data revealed a worrying scenario for the next 50 years. NASA shows which are the 5 most dangerous regions on the planet and likely to experience extreme heat events, making them uninhabitable by 2050. The current panorama of global temperatures reaching new records every month makes it very clear that we are facing a climate crisis.

A human's maximum tolerance to a wet bulb temperature is 35°C for six hours, however, NASA has recorded numerous occurrences exceeding this value, mainly in Pakistan and the Persian Gulf. Wet bulb temperature is the temperature felt when the skin is wet and exposed to high levels of relative humidity.

In very humid conditions, sweat tends to evaporate slowly and sometimes not at all. If the body cannot cool down, it will end up overheating, which can cause respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

South Asia:

This region is already suffering from global warming, as some areas have exceeded the critical wet bulb temperature level in the last 15 years. And such conditions are likely to worsen over the next 20 years, putting millions of people at risk.

Persian Gulf:

The combination of extreme heat and high humidity could make this region uninhabitable within a few years, as countries located in the Persian Gulf already face intense heat waves and extensive periods of drought.

Red Sea and East China Coast:

In both regions, the wet bulb index will be too high to survive until 2070. As the wet bulb temperature approaches your core temperature, you lose the ability to cool yourself, causing changes in the human body and stress on the cardiac system .

Brazil:

The central part of the country and the Amazon region are likely to experience a drastic increase in temperature and humidity by 2070. In recent months, we have observed a greater frequency and intensity of heat wave events, mainly in the central region, in addition to the north of the country, in which it has been suffering from a historic drought.

Such aspects highlight a worrying future, in which global warming puts the survival and quality of life of human beings at risk.