1 In 3 Human Beings Already Hurt By Warming; On Average, 900 Hours Per Year Dangerous For Those Over 65

[hatrack]

Climate breakdown is shrinking the amount of time that people can safely go about their lives, according to a study that shows a third of the world’s population now resides in areas where heat severely limits activity. Rising temperatures, driven by the continued burning of fossil fuels, are making it difficult even for many young, healthy adults to do basic physical activities, such as housework or walking up stairs during daylight hours at the height of the summer, the report warns.

The limitations are greater for elderly people, who have less ability to sweat and thus control their body temperatures, according to the research, which combines physiological studies of heat tolerance with seven decades of global and regional data on population, temperatures and human development. On average, the report finds that people over 65 now experience about 900 hours each year when heat severely restricts safe outdoor activity, compared with 600 hours in 1950. This is equivalent to more than a month of daytime hours.

Worst-affected are those in poorer countries or regions, even though they are far less responsible for climate breakdown than wealthy consumers whose lifestyles produce higher greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of gas, oil and coal. In some tropical and subtropical regions, heat restricts outdoor activity for older adults for between one-quarter and one-third of the year. The most severe challenges are found in south-west Asia (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Oman), south Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, India) and parts of west Africa (Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Djibouti and Niger).

EDIT

The authors measure “liveability” in different temperatures in METs, a unit of equivalent to the average energy expenditure of a human at rest. A manageable temperature is one in which people below 65 can perform up to 3.3 METs of activity – for example, sweeping a floor or walking at a moderate pace – for an extended period without heat stress, which means they can regulate their core body temperature at a steady state. By contrast, “unliveable limitations’” are found at hot locations during hours when human activity is restricted to 1.5 METs, which are primarily sedentary activities, such as lying down or sitting.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/10/extreme-heat-study-global-warming-physical-activity

[GiqueCee]

1. I'm surprised...

... that the article neglected to define METs, a unit of measure. One can infer "Manageable" and "Temperature" from the context, but "E"? "Expenditure", perhaps? Endurable?
Uncharacteristically sloppy for The Guardian.