People aged 60 and over face life-threatening heat stress at significantly lower temperatures than previously understood, according to research led by Stanford University and published in The Lancet Public Health. Older adults risk uncompensable heat stress at just 1.5C of warming above preindustrial levels, compared with 4C for younger adults, because they sweat less and their cardiovascular systems are less able to cope.
The findings carry urgency as the UK Health Security Agency warns 2026 could bring Britain's highest-ever toll of heat-related deaths, following 2,877 excess deaths from heatwaves in May and June. In Germany, this year's heatwave has claimed nearly 12,000 lives.
Separate research from the University of Hong Kong, analysing health data from nearly 25,000 people in Taiwan, found that each additional 1.3C of heat exposure accelerated biological ageing by up to 11 days. More than one in five people over 60 globally would endure at least a month of dangerous heat annually under 1.5C of warming, Finnish media noted, with South Asia and the Gulf facing round-the-clock exposure for months.