Rising Global Temperatures May Add Two Months of Extreme Heat by 2100, Says Report

The world is getting hotter and by the end of this century, there could be nearly two extra months of superhot days each year by the end of the century, with poorer small nations at the risk of getting hit the most the biggest carbon-polluting countries, according to a World Weather Attribution report.

While the Paris Agreement and efforts to curb emissions over the past decade has helped reduce the risks, the absence of these efforts would have led to more than twice as many superhot days. 

Impact of Climate Change

The report — which is not yet peer-reviewed but uses established techniques for climate attribution — calculated how many superhot days the world and more than 200 countries got in 2015, how many Earth gets now and what’s projected in two future scenarios, reported Associated Press.

One possibility is that the world will warm by 2.6 degrees Celsius over preindustrial levels by the year 2100 if nations keep their pledges to reduce emissions.  The study found that Earth now receives an additional 57 superhot days.  The alternative is the 4 degrees Celsius of global warming that was predicted prior to the Paris Agreement.  According to the study, that would result in twice as many hot days.

 “There will be pain and suffering because of climate change,” said Climate Central Vice President for Science Kristina Dahl, a report co-author told Associated Press.

He further added that the difference between 4 degrees Celsius and 2.6 degrees Celsius of warming is seen as a reflection of the past decade’s climate efforts and global ambitions, which is considered encouraging.

What are Superhot Days?

The World Weather Attribution report defined superhot days with temperatures warmer than 90% of temperatures observed at a site over the period between 1991 and 2020.

The report further stated that the world has already added 11 superhot days on average since 2015.

While the report does not reveal the exact number of people who will get affected by the addition of dangerously hot days, co-author Friederike Otto of Imperial College London told Associated Press that “it will definitely be tens of thousands or millions, not less”, noting that thousands die in heat waves each year already.

Rising Heat, Rising Risks

Experts caution that increasing extreme heat days could worsen urban heat islands, disrupt agriculture, and put a significant burden on healthcare systems in India and other developing countries. 

According to a 2023 Lancet Countdown report, Heat-related deaths in India have increased by 55% since the 2000s. The report underscored the close connection between income and infrastructure disparities and climate vulnerability.