Climate change is set to intensify in the Canary Islands, with a predicted increase in extreme weather phenomena such as heavy rainfall, heatwaves, and even snowfall by 2050. This forecast comes from a comprehensive NASA report which highlights potential uninhabitability in various global regions due to escalating climate impacts.
NASA has utilized advanced tools for this analysis, including weather satellite data providing long-term projections and the wet bulb index, which assesses the survivability of temperature and humidity conditions for humans.
The study indicates that prolonged exposure to a wet bulb temperature of 35 degrees Celsius for six continuous hours is beyond the human body’s cooling capabilities through sweating, posing severe health risks. This is particularly critical in high-humidity areas, where the air’s moisture content hampers sweat evaporation, crucial for regulating body temperature.
While some regions like South Asia and the Persian Gulf are expected to frequently surpass critical wet bulb temperatures, making them especially vulnerable, parts of Spain—including Madrid, Valencia, and Andalusia—are projected to experience three consecutive months of temperatures at or above 35 degrees Celsius by 2050.
This shift in climate patterns necessitates urgent adaptation strategies to safeguard human health and well-being, particularly in areas predicted to face the severest impacts. While the Canary Islands are expected to maintain relatively stable conditions, other regions will need significant measures to mitigate the health hazards of prolonged high temperatures and humidity.
