Summer heat: Night-time temperatures more lethal for humans
Air conditioners, fire-retardant insulation inside homes and specialised white paint to reflect heat can be used to escape heat at night ; Pic: ANCELA JAMINDAR
Air conditioners, fire-retardant insulation inside homes and specialised white paint to reflect heat can be used to escape heat at night
And you thought you are susceptible to heat only if you venture out during the day? Here’s a shocker: Staying indoors can be a killer, too, especially after sun down.
Ambient temperatures during the night are more lethal as enclosed spaces in concrete and cement structures radiate more heat. A study conducted by Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPH-G) reveals that there is a direct relation between higher nighttime temperatures and heatrelated deaths in urban areas.
Analysis of 15 years of data (from 2001 to 2015) reveals that when maximum temperature was 43 °C and minimum was less than 28°C, there were 94 average daily deaths in Ahmedabad. When maximum temperature was 45 °C and above and minimum was 30°C and above, there were 264 average daily deaths in Ahmedabad. The analysis, conducted under the aegis of the Heat Action Plan (HAP) — hailed as the first comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan in South Asia — says the number of mortalities rise as nighttime temperatures rise in summer.
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The data from Nagpur too threw up similar conclusion. “While the administration, medical professionals and common people concentrate on maximum temperatures during daytime and express concern as soon as it hits 40°C, the study reveals that it is actually night-time minimum temperatures that are a real cause of concern,” said Dr Dileep Mavalankar, Director of IIPH-G and author of the study.
“Usually, while day-time (max) temperatures are high in Ahmedabad at the peak of summer, there is a fall in night-time (min) temperatures. However, if maximum temperatures and minimum temperature are both high, there are more heatrelated emergencies and mortalities,” Dr Mavalankar added.
IIPH-G says that the study will change the concept of how summer temperatures, heat-related emergencies and deaths in urban areas are analysed and responded to in order to mitigate human casualties caused by extreme climate.
The study ‘Experience Sharing of heat wave Action plan at local level: Ahmedabad heat Action Plan’, has been carried out by IIPH-G in collaboration with National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) US, University of Washington in the US, Mount Sinai School of Medicine in the US, Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) and GVK-EMRI 108 medical service.
Heat at night is the real killer
Dr Mavalankar says that the reason why night-time temperatures are more lethal to humans is that while daytime temperatures are higher in open spaces and people tend to stay indoors at such times, mortalities are low. However, during nights, temperatures are higher inside cement and concrete structures, radiating more heat in enclosed spaces where people are sleeping, leading to heat strokes and even death if there isn’t enough cooling.
What is the solution? Dr Mavalankar believes that deliberations between all stakeholders would have to be carried out to figure out more ways to mitigate this problem even as night-time temperatures keep rising in a hyper-urbanised Ahmedabad. “As not all people can afford active cooling systems like air conditioners, current passive cooling methods include fireretardant insulation inside homes, using hollow bricks in construction of buildings and specialised white paint that the AMC is currently using to paint the roofs of slums across the city,” he said.
Plant trees
Professor Amit Garg of IIMA, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, told Mirror, “Yes, I agree, night-time temperature is the greatest indicator of mortality in summer. It has to be reduced and for that, better land use management is required by the civic bodies in the country. Clusters of trees, even as less as 10, can have impact over time if planted all over the city. Secondly, a lot of lakes in Ahmedabad have dried up. They need to be rejuvenated as water bodies are a great help in reducing the temperature of an urban area.”
Rethinking early-warning and alert system
The SAFAR-AIR programme, which was inaugurated in 2017, began providing location-specific information on air quality and temperature in near real time through 10 Air Quality Monitoring Stations and 12 LED screens.
These screens also display the Yellow, Orange and Red Alert according to temperature. “However, now the alert system may have to be changed to give higher ratings if night-time temperatures are higher,” said Dr Mavalankar, adding that he was in talks with the IMD and AMC for the same.
Today, the IMD forecasts information 1-3 days in advance. Dr Mavalankar hopes that the IMD may be able to provide early warning for high night-time temperatures 4-5 days in advance. Dr Jayanta Sarkar, director of IMD Ahmedabad, was not available for comment.
Active cooling measures
1.Use of air-conditioners and coolers
2. Use of water on balcony or terrace in the evenings
Passive cooling measures
1.Fire-retardant insulation inside homes
2.Hollow bricks used in construction
3.Specialised white paint to reflect heat
Long-term measures
1. Tree plantation on massive scale
2.Rejuvenation of water bodies
Ambient temperatures during the night are more lethal as enclosed spaces in concrete and cement structures radiate more heat. A study conducted by Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPH-G) reveals that there is a direct relation between higher nighttime temperatures and heatrelated deaths in urban areas.
Analysis of 15 years of data (from 2001 to 2015) reveals that when maximum temperature was 43 °C and minimum was less than 28°C, there were 94 average daily deaths in Ahmedabad. When maximum temperature was 45 °C and above and minimum was 30°C and above, there were 264 average daily deaths in Ahmedabad. The analysis, conducted under the aegis of the Heat Action Plan (HAP) — hailed as the first comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan in South Asia — says the number of mortalities rise as nighttime temperatures rise in summer.
Read Also:
Foot-in-mouth Tripura CM gets support from Amul MD
The data from Nagpur too threw up similar conclusion. “While the administration, medical professionals and common people concentrate on maximum temperatures during daytime and express concern as soon as it hits 40°C, the study reveals that it is actually night-time minimum temperatures that are a real cause of concern,” said Dr Dileep Mavalankar, Director of IIPH-G and author of the study.
“Usually, while day-time (max) temperatures are high in Ahmedabad at the peak of summer, there is a fall in night-time (min) temperatures. However, if maximum temperatures and minimum temperature are both high, there are more heatrelated emergencies and mortalities,” Dr Mavalankar added.
IIPH-G says that the study will change the concept of how summer temperatures, heat-related emergencies and deaths in urban areas are analysed and responded to in order to mitigate human casualties caused by extreme climate.
Ahmedabad recorded maximum 42.7°C
Heat at night is the real killer
Dr Mavalankar says that the reason why night-time temperatures are more lethal to humans is that while daytime temperatures are higher in open spaces and people tend to stay indoors at such times, mortalities are low. However, during nights, temperatures are higher inside cement and concrete structures, radiating more heat in enclosed spaces where people are sleeping, leading to heat strokes and even death if there isn’t enough cooling.
What is the solution? Dr Mavalankar believes that deliberations between all stakeholders would have to be carried out to figure out more ways to mitigate this problem even as night-time temperatures keep rising in a hyper-urbanised Ahmedabad. “As not all people can afford active cooling systems like air conditioners, current passive cooling methods include fireretardant insulation inside homes, using hollow bricks in construction of buildings and specialised white paint that the AMC is currently using to paint the roofs of slums across the city,” he said.
Plant trees
Professor Amit Garg of IIMA, a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, told Mirror, “Yes, I agree, night-time temperature is the greatest indicator of mortality in summer. It has to be reduced and for that, better land use management is required by the civic bodies in the country. Clusters of trees, even as less as 10, can have impact over time if planted all over the city. Secondly, a lot of lakes in Ahmedabad have dried up. They need to be rejuvenated as water bodies are a great help in reducing the temperature of an urban area.”
Rethinking early-warning and alert system
The SAFAR-AIR programme, which was inaugurated in 2017, began providing location-specific information on air quality and temperature in near real time through 10 Air Quality Monitoring Stations and 12 LED screens.
These screens also display the Yellow, Orange and Red Alert according to temperature. “However, now the alert system may have to be changed to give higher ratings if night-time temperatures are higher,” said Dr Mavalankar, adding that he was in talks with the IMD and AMC for the same.
Today, the IMD forecasts information 1-3 days in advance. Dr Mavalankar hopes that the IMD may be able to provide early warning for high night-time temperatures 4-5 days in advance. Dr Jayanta Sarkar, director of IMD Ahmedabad, was not available for comment.
Min-max temperature combo and deaths
Active cooling measures
1.Use of air-conditioners and coolers
2. Use of water on balcony or terrace in the evenings
Passive cooling measures
1.Fire-retardant insulation inside homes
2.Hollow bricks used in construction
3.Specialised white paint to reflect heat
Long-term measures
1. Tree plantation on massive scale
2.Rejuvenation of water bodies
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