A recent study has highlighted the significant and escalating health risks associated with prolonged weather extremes in the UK, as the consequences of climate change become more pronounced.
A recent study has brought to light the extensive and growing health threats resulting from long-term weather extremes in the UK, as the impacts of climate change become more serious.
The research, published in The Lancet Planetary Health and conducted by the University of Bristol, indicates that extended exposure to extreme temperatures—both hot and cold—can not only increase the risk of death but may also be associated with various other health problems, including decreased physical activity and dementia.
While it is widely recognized that weather extremes adversely affect heart and lung health, this study brings together top climate scientists, meteorologists, public health experts, and epidemiologists to present a more thorough understanding of the far-reaching and interconnected consequences.
The report emphasizes that more frequent and prolonged extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves and flooding, worsen mental health issues and the spread of infectious diseases. Long-term heat exposure can disturb sleep, which is linked to cognitive decline and conditions like Alzheimer’s. Additionally, heat increases the risk of kidney disease and skin cancer, while cold weather can lead to more falls, feelings of isolation, joint pain, and a sedentary lifestyle, according to the study.
Lead author Dann Mitchell, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment, stated: “Primarily, this report demonstrates the potentially grave mortality and morbidity effects from long-term exposure to altered weather patterns that are not presently reflected in our climate risk assessments.”
“We also lack sufficient understanding of how high temperatures or ongoing flooding may affect various health outcomes, but we recognize some significant connections that raise considerable concern.”
In contrast to earlier studies that concentrated on specific health impacts, such as heat-related mortality, this report offers a comprehensive evaluation based on weather extremes in the UK.
Professor Mitchell noted: “The collective expertise of numerous world-leading specialists in this field allows us to combine our insights and utilize evidence from diverse areas to provide a complete overview of how weather and climate trends influence the UK population.”
“For example, warmer nights disrupt sleep patterns, which could accelerate the progression of dementia. Extended heat stress is likely to worsen existing health conditions like kidney disease. We must focus on these long-term exposures to fully understand the implications.”
The interdisciplinary approach adopted in this study could assist in forming an informed perspective on the health impacts of climate change in other nations.
“By using the UK as a case study, we have laid the groundwork for a comprehensive global analysis of climate and health, which will greatly update current estimates that only consider a limited range of diseases and are significantly outdated,” Professor Mitchell explained.
Co-author Dr. Eunice Lo, Research Fellow in Climate Change and Health at the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment, said: “This expert assessment is extremely valuable as it provides insight into the long-term effects of weather on slow-developing health conditions, which have been challenging to quantify in existing literature. With the increasing availability of data from extensive health studies, the next step is to analyze this information and model its relationship with long-term weather exposure, alongside other factors affecting health over time.”
