London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Experts warn: by the end of the century the Middle East will become unlivable

Experts warn: by the end of the century the Middle East will become unlivable

In recent months, the Northern Hemisphere has experienced record temperatures, deadly fires and an unprecedented drought that is harming food production and supply. European cities seem to suffer from higher temperatures this summer compared to the hot Persian Gulf region.
However, according to experts, the high temperature is not a sufficient measure of whether living is possible in a certain city. The exact measure is heat combined with humidity. For this reason, life in the Middle East is more difficult than in Europe - even if the temperatures are the same.

Abdan in Iran recorded a record high of 53 degrees Celsius on August 5. But the heat is not accompanied by high humidity. If, in addition to the temperature, there was also high humidity, living in the area would become much more difficult, even impossible. This is because it is difficult for our body to cool itself when there is humidity compared to dry weather.

The combination of heat and humidity is known as heat load, and is determined as a combination of the temperature and the relative humidity. The calculation is an average of the dry bulb temperature (dry bulb temperature) and the wet bulb temperature (wet bulb temperature).

The dry bulb temperature is the temperature measured by a thermometer, under conditions without radiation and without moisture. The wet bulb temperature is measured with a thermometer covered with a cloth soaked in water and takes into account both heat and humidity.

The Middle East in particular is exposed to an increase in the wet bulb temperature. "The region is already hot and humid. Therefore, the increase in global temperature may make the region dangerous for human health," Tapio Schneider, a professor of climate science and engineering at the California Institute of Technology, told CNN.

The Persian Gulf is one of the few places in the world that recorded wet bulb temperatures higher than the threshold at which a human can survive - 53 degrees Celsius. Since 2005, there have been nine cases where the temperature rose to such a level.

This means that at a temperature of 35 degrees in a humid phase, the human body is unable to cool itself to the temperature at which the body functions under normal conditions. "This is the threshold above which humans are unable to survive and will die within a few hours," Schneider said.

A moist bulb temperature below 53 degrees is also not ideal. "Humans experience heat stress even at a lower humid bulb temperature. How they can survive such conditions depends on physical fitness and age among other things," said Schneider.

The countries of the Persian Gulf defend against the heat, using energy-saving air conditioning, but other countries in the region are not so rich, and therefore less protected. In Iraq, for example, workers in the city of Basra were asked to stay at home due to high temperatures earlier this month. However, households only receive electricity for ten hours a day from the national grid.

Only those who are able buy a generator to generate electricity for the remaining hours.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
×