Extreme heat is changing the way we live. This is how

The impact of extreme heat on health and well-being keeps making headlines across the globe.

It is increasing the impact of heart disease in Australia, according to research. In the US, a recent study showed that prolonged exposure to extreme heat can modify how people’s genes behave and speed up ageing at the molecular level. And in Europe, researchers say that changes to the climate could directly result in more than two million additional temperature-related deaths by the end of the century if urgent action is not taken.

With incidences of extreme heat becoming more frequent and intense due to the climate crisis, experts say that cities, states and countries should implement heat preparedness and response strategies and protect the most vulnerable people in their communities.

And on a day-to-day level, people are already adjusting their behaviour to adapt to periods of extreme heat.

The past 10 years were the 10 warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization, with 2024 being the warmest yet. There was a measurable impact on electricity demand that year as people turned to air cooling during extreme heatwaves, according to data from energy research organization Ember.

In the world’s three largest electricity markets – China, the US and India – heatwaves added tens of terawatt hours to electricity demand during summer months.

Air cooling needs accounted for a 37% increase in demand compared to the previous summer in the US, a 31% increase in China and a 19% increase in India. The months most affected by hotter weather saw a big year-on-year increase in coal generation, Ember says.

With air conditioning use predicted to triple by 2050, ensuring cooling needs are met equitably and sustainably is vital as the world gets warmer, according to the International Energy Agency.

Taking key measures to reduce the power consumption of cooling equipment would slash emissions and expand access to “life-saving” cooling to 3.5 billion people, the United Nations says.

People aren’t just turning to cooling at home – the New York Times has described a personal fan as “the new must-have” as temperatures rise.

The market size for personal portable fans is set to almost double between now and 2033, although a report published in The Lancet cautions that at temperatures exceeding 35°C electric fans won’t create meaningful reductions in core body temperature. It too recommends improving access to ambient cooling, including cities using green architecture and tree shading to supplement air conditioning.

While such green spaces can reduce temperatures in cities, in some places people are missing out on the health benefits parks and nature provide as they change their habits to cope with rising heat. A Massachusetts Institute of Technology study set in China found that in extreme temperatures people are less likely to pursue outdoor activities that would otherwise be part of their daily routine.

Some are finding innovative ways to socialize and exercise while staying indoors. In South Florida, US, a local outdoor walking group moved their meet-ups to an indoor mall when the summers became too hot.

Other changes to daily routines are emerging as people stay indoors in hot weather. Researchers in the US have found a”marked decrease” in trips made for leisure, shopping and socializing when temperatures soar.

A Nature study of 100 cities in China between 2017 and 2023, meanwhile, found a significant surge in lunchtime food delivery orders as temperatures rose.

As the Nature food delivery study points out, this shift in behaviour transfers the exposure to extreme heat from consumers to delivery drivers.

Worldwide, extreme heat is increasingly affecting workers and, alongside threats to human health, is projected to cause $2.4 trillion in productivity losses annually by 2030, according to the World Economic Forum white paper Insuring Against Extreme Heat: Navigating Risks in a Warming World.

Employers are already taking a preventative approach, by educating employees on heat stress and adapting work schedules.

Farm workers, for example, already work at night and other sectors including construction and transportation are moving schedules to cooler times of the day.

As extreme heat and its varied impacts on daily life become a reality for more people across the globe, the Forum’s Climate and Health Initiative is bringing together a variety of stakeholders and policy-makers to develop solutions to the negative impacts of a warming planet.