If global temperatures keep rising and reach 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels, communities worldwide could face multiple impacts of climate change simultaneously, a NASA-led study reveals.
The researchers found that more than a quarter of the world's population could experience an additional month of severe heat stress each year compared to the middle of the 20th century (1950-1979). High temperatures and drought could combine dangerously in places like the Amazon, increasing the risk of wildfire. In the American West, extreme fire weather will likely be more intense and last longer, according to the study that analyzed the projected impacts of such warming to understand how different climate effects might combine.
by Joji Xavier
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