Extreme Heat Risk

This indicator assesses the threat of extreme heat during a 5-year return period. Extreme heat has an obvious impact on human health, but it is also relevant to a wide array of economic activities and industries, including the built environment. With climate change, the frequency and the intensity of abnormal weather and extreme temperature patterns have dramatically increased, and the shift to warmer temperatures, driven by climate change, will only exacerbate this phenomenon. For this indicator, GFDRR’s extreme heat hazard has been used. It is classified based on an existing and widely accepted heat-stress indicator, the daily maximum wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT, in °C). A short return period (five years) reflects more frequent extreme heat events.