Dangerous heat stress has intensified across every continent since 1950, its geographic footprint is expanding, and the hottest nights are warming faster than the hottest days.

Using a feels like temperature index that combines heat, humidity, wind and radiation, researchers mapped dangerous heat stress worldwide since 1950. Extreme feels like temperatures have become more common on every continent, the area hit by hazardous heat has spread into regions that used to be spared, and the hottest nights are now warming faster than the hottest days. More people are exposed to dangerous heat, driven both by the worsening heat itself and by population growth.

Integrity screen: passed (3 checks) Checked 3 July 2026. Retraction record: none. DOI resolves at doi.org. Metadata record found (Nature Climate Change). Read the source

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