A heat wave has hit large parts of Europe, with temperatures well over 40 degrees in several places. Remains of the heat wave are now on their way to southern Norway. The heat wave that is now raging in Europe will not hit Norway as hard. But you may want to prepare for extreme heat if you are going on a holiday trip. Heat waves usually carry the risk of dehydration, poor night’s sleep and reduced general condition. According to the World Economic Forum, heat waves have a huge impact on our mental health. Amplifies anxiety and depression High temperatures over a long period of time can make symptoms worse for people with mental illness. – Those who are exposed from before, become more exposed. The heat waves intensify anxiety and depression, says Ågot Aakra, area director for climate and environment at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH). She has rented an investment in climate change and health at NIPH. Several suicides and suicide attempts have also been registered during the heat waves, according to a report from 2021. Poorer air quality affects us Heat waves can also affect the mental health, and the ability to think and reason, of people without mental illness. Research shows that areas of the brain that are responsible for solving complex cognitive tasks are weakened by stress related to heat. High temperature over time can be a strain. There are many who experience heat stroke in the extreme heat. – One must have sufficient water. That is absolutely crucial, says Aakra. How to avoid heat stroke Avoid heat stroke Drink plenty of water Use light, airy and light cloth Shower or bath in cool water, possibly put wet towel on the skin Stay in cool rooms Reduce physical activity Signs of heat stroke Slackness Fall and increased tendency to fall you eat and drink minimally Acute confusion Dark urine This is a sign of a danger signal that may require contact with a doctor or hospitalization. If you discover someone who has these signs, you can call 113, the emergency room or other municipal care services. Source: National Institute of Public Health – During a heat wave one gets poorer air quality. It also helps to affect our mental health. It can affect our cognitive functions, so it has a pretty big effect, she adds. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is concerned that the ongoing heat wave in Europe will lead to a rapid increase in atmospheric pollution, especially in urban areas. When people do not think clearly because of the heat, they are more likely to be frustrated, and this can lead to aggression, says a 2019 publication on global warming. – People who work outside are extremely vulnerable Legar usually recover from the heat waves, since the patient room is filled with dehydrated people, where many of them faint, writes World Economic Forum. – The heat knocks us out. People become dehydrated and are unable to maintain a good fluid balance. In the worst cases, it is people who die from this, says climate researcher Hans Olav Hygen at the Meteorological Institute. He emphasizes that no increase in deaths has been registered in Norway in connection with heat waves. Ågot Aakra at the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) says that the heat waves weaken our cognitive functions. Photo: National Institute of Public Health – Workers who work outside are extremely vulnerable. The dangers for them are enormous when the heat waves hit, says Aakra in FHI. She emphasizes that in Norway the effects will be smaller, but that we can fear that it will come here as well. And that’s right, we must believe climate scientists. Heat waves will affect us more It is expected that the risk of prolonged heat waves in Norway may increase, as a result of climate change. Because it is not only in southern Europe that it is now extremely hot. In the UK, which is not particularly known for high temperatures, the degree may rise 40 degrees for the first time in history this week. The government is so nervous that it has declared a state of national crisis due to the heat wave. Spain is in the longest heatwave since 1975, according to NTB. Almost the whole country is affected by the extreme heat. 1,000 deaths have been reported linked to the heat wave in Portugal and Spain, according to Reuters. – The heat wave can give us relatively warm weather in Norway, but not in the vicinity of the heat conditions that it is in the UK and Spain, says Hygen. «Norwegian heat wave» From 1 June this year, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute introduced a new definition of heat waves in Norway. The new definition differs from the old one in that it is based on a five-day period, instead of a three-day period. To be able to call something a heat wave, an average temperature of 28 degrees or more is needed – for a period of more than five days. During the same period, the minimum temperature at night must be at least 16 degrees. The phenomenon is from now on called a «Norwegian heat wave», and differs from the heat waves we have seen in Spain and California, among others. Currently, this is part of a pilot project from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET). Both the name and the definition may change later. Source: Meteorological Institute The number of heat waves has increased in recent years. The peak came in Oslo in 2018 with as many as 19 heat waves. – We see that both the incidence of heat waves increases, the extremity becomes stronger and the area that is affected is expanded. Heat waves are something that will happen to us more and more, says Hygen.
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