One of the most evident consequences of climate change is the increasing frequency of extreme heat weather conditions worldwide. This is a constant concern for the scientific community and society in general, which seeks ways to understand and mitigate the effects of global warming.
A recent scientific study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, sought to analyze extreme heat from a different perspective than usual. Instead of using daily temperature indicators, the researchers decided to break down extreme heat phenomena at the hourly level, which allowed them to reveal important details that typically go unnoticed.
The results of this study show that hourly assessments can identify heat exposure that is not captured by traditional daily metrics. This means that many episodes of extreme heat may be underestimated when only indicators based on daily averages or maximum values are used.
The researchers concluded that this more detailed approach can contribute to more effective management of heat-related risks and better planning of mitigation and adaptation measures to climate change.
