In Kuwait, Heat Has A Negative Impact On Health

 
 
 

According to a recent study on the impacts of extreme heat on people's health and wellbeing in Kuwait, further temperature increases could have a negative influence on people's health, including a spike in the number of heat-related deaths. The study also suggested that by the end of this century, harsh climate conditions brought on by altered weather patterns as a result of global climate change may be responsible for 14 out of every 100 deaths in Kuwait.

Dr. Barak Al-Ahmad, an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the College of Public Health at Kuwait University, collaborated with foreign academics on the study, which was published in the journal "Environmental Research Letters." The study was supported by the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, in association with the Yale Center for Health and Climate Change, the Berne Institute for Preventive Health Studies, and the Harvard Center for Climate, Health and Global Environment in the United States.

According to the environmental study, Kuwait has experienced a "unprecedented" rate of temperature rise since the 1990s. By 2059 and 2099, average temperatures are expected to rise by 1.8 to 2.6 degrees Celsius and 2.7 to 5.5 degrees Celsius, respectively. This means that more than four months of the year could see temperatures rise above 40 degrees Celsius.

The study also noted that exposure to high temperatures worsens the health of those with chronic diseases, which may directly or indirectly result in mortality. As a result, an increase of 5 to 11 percent in the death rate is anticipated owing to the increased heat.

In related news, information made public last week by Kuwait's Ministry of Power, Water, and Renewable Energy (MEW) showed that the electricity load index on August 9 was the highest ever recorded.

The electricity flow of 16,180 megawatts at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, August 9 surpassed both the 15,670 megawatts recorded last year and the previous maximum output of 15,800 megawatts on August 4 of this year. The increase in electricity use has been attributed to the current hot temperatures as more people turn on their air conditioners and leave them on lower temperatures for longer periods of time.

While Kuwait set a new record for high temperatures on Monday with temperatures reaching 53 degrees celsius in Al Jahra and 52.1 degrees in Al-Sulaibiya, the temperature on Tuesday was just 51 degrees Celsius. Throughout last week, high temperatures were being recorded at meteorological stations across the nation.

The weather is expected to be extremely hot for the remainder of the week, with strong northwesterly winds producing dust and diminishing horizontal visibility in some regions, according to meteorological department authorities.

 
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IFL  - Kuwait 2024