The Wet Bulb Global Temperature Human Survival Threshold is NOT 35°C
Why is the 35°C threshold being revised
The Tabloid approach to heatwaves in the UK is to show people in the sun, on the beach and eating ice-creams. They spend hours in grid-lock stuck in their cars in the sun bumper to bumper cooking in their cars. Its only a matter of time before severe heat kills whole famillies on their way to the beach.
Health studies show lower limits: Experiments with healthy young adults have found that severe heat stress can occur at wet-bulb temperatures as low as 31.5°C.
Experimental findings: In controlled experiments, critical wet-bulb temperatures for healthy young adults ranged from 25°C to 28°C in hot-dry environments and 30°Cto 31 °C in warm-humid environments.
Lower limits for vulnerable groups: Research suggests that older adults have even lower survival limits, ranging from 21.9°C to 27.8°C
Uncompensable heat stress: The point at which the body can no longer cool itself through sweating is reached at a lower wet-bulb temperature than the theoretical 35°C.
Real-world events: Recent heatwaves have seen wet-bulb temperatures in the 31°C to 33.6°C range, demonstrating that these lower thresholds are being reached in the real world.
Britain is surprisingly humid. Anyone who suspects that the above Wet Bulb Global Temperature Chart is on the conservative side is wrong. UK humidity is regularly over 60% relative humidity, and often higher. For a wet bulb temperature of 31°C to 33.6 °C would be 30°C @ 55-75% humidity.
In the UK, the media loves a heatwave. It's used to stimulate internal tourism.
The Tabloid approach to heatwaves in the UK is to show people in the sun, on the beach and eating ice-creams. They spend hours in grid-lock stuck in their cars in the sun bumper to bumper cooking in their cars. Its only a matter of time before severe heat kills whole famillies on their way to the beach.
Wet Bulb Global Temperature (WBGT) of 31.5°C plus is moving into the lethal range.
But...
Everyone has a story of how they survived something far hotter, or perhaps they cite the World Sauna Championships. The World Sauna Championships were banned when people died in a non-sport.
A Finn once lectured me about how the Finns can withstand extremely hot sauna - they sit around in there with no clothes on, with as much water as they want to drink and then cold plunge to cool off.
Most people in the Global South currently on the WBGT frontline don't have the luxury cold plunge pool.
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Help me reach people who aren't online through outreach work:
Publishing a wetbulb information booklet, wet bulb charts, information posters and other educational materials about safety in severe heat/ himifity weather events.
Outreach talks to community groups, shools, colleges, businesses, local authorities, nursing homes and the public through public outreach stalls on the streets
Providing WBGT Thermohygrometers.
Put me in touch with potential sponsors fir the project
Author: Rumi Mohideen
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