It is not "global warming" anymore, it’s "global boiling" now. This is how UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the climate situation we currently face. He did so moments after scientists confirmed that July is likely to become the hottest month on record.

How does our body cope with the heat? The BBC's James Gallagher decided to take part in an experiment to see what is the limit of heat a person can withstand. The conclusions are alarming.

You don't have to look far to find evidence of "global boiling". The heatwave and associated fires in Spain, Greece or Italy have already turned into a disaster. The warmest day on record is also behind us, and the same record on a monthly scale is likely ahead.

No, it is not only Europe that is struggling with the heatwave. Temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius have been recorded in China and the United States. Is it even possible to function in such hellish conditions? Where is the limit? That's what a BBC journalist decided to check.

James Gallagher has invited professor Damian Bailey from the University of South Wales to conduct an experiment which tested how the journalist's body performed at different temperatures. First, they set the thermostat to 21 degrees, later turned it up to 35 degrees and finally they tested how human body reacts to and functions in 40-degree heat.

Gallagher was placed in an environmental chamber and the scientist checked how much the journalist was sweating, monitoring his weight in the process. His skin and internal organs temperature, heart rate and blood pressure were also tracked. Exhaled air and blood flow to the brain were analysed as well. The latter’s performance was also tested - the journalist had to memorise a list of 30 words. How did it go?

At 21 degrees everything was fine. At 35 degrees, Gallagher admitted he did not feel uncomfortable, but added that if he wasn’t sitting during the test and had to work or exercise instead, the situation would be very different. However, the journalist's body reaction to the heat was already evident. His skin became redder and he was sweating heavily.

At 40 degrees the heat became really hard to bear and his short-term memory performance worsened. Professor Bailey explained that the human perception of temperature does not work linearly - we think it is only five degrees more, but our body and well-being deteriorates significantly.

What were the results of the test? The journalist lost more than a third of a litre's worth of water during the course of the experiment. His heart rate increased significantly, and at 40 degrees it was pumping one litre of blood per minute more. The only upside is that Gallagher’s body was able to maintain the temperature at around 37 degrees, BBC reports.

What can such bodily reactions to heat lead to? To heart attacks and strokes, of course. Professor Marek Sanak spoke about such effects of a warming climate in July underscoring that heat kills more often than we think and that more people die from overheating than by drowning.

Prof Bailey points out that the journalist made it through the experiment really well, but one must also take into account that not everyone may be as fit and healthy as he is. People who are elderly, ill or taking specific medications might not be able to withstand such test or weather conditions.

What conclusions can be drawn from this experiment? The answer is rather obvious. If we don't address the climate crisis and help our planet stop breaking temperature records, we won’t have a very bright future ahead of us.

Source: bbc.com