The number of heat victims in Prague has doubled in the last decade
The research focused on the effect of heat on mortality in Prague from 1982 to 2019. Study showed that heat waves are the most risky atmospheric phenomena in terms of deaths.
The researchers compared the average daily temperature from May to September at the Prague-Ruzyně station and its effect on mortality.
“Their impacts are felt especially in cities with dense buildings and a small share of greenery,” the authors stated.
“The frequency and intensity of heat waves in the last decade has been unprecedented,” said Aleš Urban, head of the scientific team.
“While the average summer temperature in the 1980s was 15.3 ° C, between 2010 and 2019 it was 16.9 ° C and there was a significant increase in such days with an average daily temperature higher than 20 ° C,” he said.
The proportion of deaths related to the heat increased from 1 percent to almost 2 percent of all deaths.
The highest heat-related deaths were recorded in 2015.
“At that time, they had more than 250 deaths in Prague, which accounted for more than 5 percent of all deaths between May and September,” said scientists, who said cities needed to adapt to climate change and create an early warning system for citizens.
Elderly people or cardiac patients are particularly at risk of high temperatures and dehydration.