This is according to a new climate study published in the international scientific journal Theoretical and Applied Climatology.
Heat stress is dangerous
An analysis of satellite data from 1950 to 2024 found that heat stress days of six hours or more are increasing every 10 years by about 1.5 days, and up to 2.5 days in some regions. This means that the number of long hot days during the summer season has increased by more than two weeks,” the Turkish publication T24.comwrote
The Turkish coastal areas of the Aegean and Mediterranean seas, including the coast from Antalya to Hatay, as well as the cities of Izmir, Mugla and Istanbul, were among the most vulnerable regions with a simultaneous increase in the average and maximum duration of heat stress.
Experts emphasize that not only high temperatures, but also their duration pose an important threat to health: in the absence of a nighttime drop in temperature, the body does not have time to recover. This is especially dangerous for the elderly, people with chronic diseases and those who work outdoors.
How to react
The study also introduced a new indicator, the Thermal Persistence Index (TPI), which measures the duration of continuous exposure to high temperatures during the day and can be used in early warning systems for health risks.
As Tourprom notes, the authors of the study emphasize the need to implement early warning systems for health risks that take into account not only the level of temperature, but also the duration of its exposure. The developed TPI index can be used as a basis for such systems.
In particular, it evaluates heat stress by time: 4-6 hours – moderate, 6-10 – high, more than 10 – extreme, requiring rest and limiting outdoor work.
