This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here . More than 1,000 people died as temperatures hit nearly 52 C during this year's hajj in Saudi Arabia.
Around 2,300 cases of heatstroke and dehydration were reported during Mexico's recent stretch of extreme heat. Eight known deaths occured in just 72 hours amid India's longest heatwave on record. We're only halfway through 2024, yet the global death toll from surging temperatures has been staggering, and a clearer picture is now emerging of extreme heat as one of the deadly emergencies facing regions around the world.
It's no secret, of course, that high heat can kill you. Doctors have long warned that rising temperatures lead to conditions like heatstroke — a life-threatening medical emergency where your body simply can't stop overheating — or exacerbate underlying illnesses like diabetes, asthma, or cardiovascular disease. What's new is just how many people are dying as global temperatures continue to rise, including across Canada and the northern U.
S., where high heat previously wasn't a top-of-mind concern. More than 100 Canadian heat records were smashed on Wednesday alone, all while emerging research reveals the toll of high heat on the human body is far worse than previously thought.
An elderly man, who, according to medical officials, suffers from heat e.
