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BBC Inside Science

Heat and health

BBC Inside Science

BBC

Technology, Science

4.51.3K Ratings

🗓️ 27 July 2023

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Last summer saw intense heatwaves across the world. And already this year, global air, surface and sea temperatures have hit the highest levels on record. China, India and the US are currently experiencing heatwaves. In June, the UK’s Met Office released a health warning because of the high temperatures. In this episode Gaia Vince investigates what causes heatwaves and how hotter weather impacts our health. She finds out how we can prepare ourselves as the temperatures rise. Gaia is joined by Peter Stott at the Met Office Centre for Climate Prediction, who reveals more about the forecast and what causes heatwaves. She also speaks to Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate and the Environment, who gives us the lowdown on the UK’s heat health warning system and says what the future could look like if we continue to miss climate targets. In addition, Dann Mitchell, professor of climate science at the University of Bristol, discusses the health impacts of extreme heat. Guillermo Rein, professor of fire science at Imperial College London, explains what sparks wildfires and how they spread. Elsewhere, Germany has launched a high-tech heat health warning system to warn people when the temperatures are rocketing. Gaia speaks to Andreas Matzarakis, from Albert Ludwig University in Freiburg, who developed the system. Presenter: Gaia Vince Producer: Harrison Lewis Content Producer: Alice Lipscombe-Southwell Assistant Producer: Robbie Wojciechowski Editor: Richard Collings

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello, and welcome to Woman's Hour.

0:04.0

I never would have dreamed of going out and playing in front of thousands of people all

0:07.8

around, you know, center court.

0:09.4

The daily podcast featuring women's voices.

0:12.1

It seems that I'm a threat and they scared all women like me who can say no to this barbaric

0:17.6

regime talking about women's lives.

0:20.1

You're doing what every other girl is doing, just going out at night, having fun and they

0:25.2

again, villainized us for it.

0:26.9

Woman's Hour.

0:27.9

First on BBC Sounds.

0:29.9

BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts

0:34.9

Hello, this is the podcast version of BBC Inside Science First Broadcast on Radio 4 on

0:42.4

the 29th of June 2023.

0:44.9

Hello, are you keeping cool?

0:47.9

I ask because the global average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now

0:53.3

420 parts per million, an increase of 50% since the Industrial Revolution.

1:00.6

We reap what we sow, temperatures are soaring.

1:04.8

This month, global air surface and sea surface temperatures are the highest on record and

1:11.1

global sea ice is the lowest on record.

1:14.0

There are currently heat waves across the world from the US to India to China.

1:19.6

In the UK, the Met Office and Health Security Agency had to issue a heat alert a few days

1:24.6

ago as temperatures hit the 30s.

...

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