abnormal cold wave

Impacts on Human Being

Health & Motality

The cold waves cause problem in northern latitudes in a very few hours but over long periods. Exposure to cold temperatures can cause various negative health problems such as death, disease, or other health complaints. There are health problems, which are related with cold waves, such as ischemic heart disease, frostbite, and hypothermia (they are explained at the below gray box). The cold waves have serious health effects currently, especially mountainous regions in Russia, Canada and Alaska. Below figure is about the relationship with temperature and daily incidence. As the figure, we can find that lower temperature causes higher incidence.

Ref; <Extreme weather and climate events and public health responses>, Report on a WHO meeting in Bratislava, Slovakia, 09-10 February 2004.

Ischemic heart disease (IHD)

- IHD is a disease by reduced blood supply of heart muscle. If the organs in body conduct normal function, proper oxygen and nutrients should be provided through blood vessels. However, without proper oxygen and nutrients, the heart muscle suffer hypoxia(lower oxygen), and disordered function. Its case is called IHD.

- Exposure to cold causes a vasoconstriction(shrink blood vessels), and it induces in a rise of blood pressure. Finally it indues the IHD.

Hypothermia

- Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as 35 ℃. One of the lowest body temperature from which anyone has recovered was about 13℃.

- Hypothermic deaths may be seen at an environmental temperature of 0 ℃, with risk of death strongly related to lack of awareness of hypothermia and protection against cold. The death rates is related with ages. The higher ages, the higher deaths.

Frostbite

- Frostbite is caused to skin and tissues due to freezing. Frostbite is most likely to happen in body parts fartest from the heart and those with large exposed areas.

- Not adequated blood circulation by freezing leads to frostbite. In extreme cold, or when the body is exposed to cold for long periods, protective strategy of body can reduce blood flow in some areas of the body to dangerously low levels. This lack of blood circulation leads to freezing and death of skin tissue in that area.

- Frostbite is devided into 4 degrees.
1. 1st degree: The skin develops white, red, and yellow patches and suffers a little bit pains. It usually does not become permanently damaged.

2. 2nd degree: If freezing continues, the skin may freeze and harden, but the deep tissues are not affected and remain soft. It is usually occured 1~2 days after freezing.

3. 3rd & 4th degrees: If the area freezes further, deep frostbite occurs. The muscles, tendons, blood vessels and nerves all freeze. The skin is hard and it may be lost permanently.

Above health problems could cause deaths also. In most European countries, mortality in winter are higher than in summer. Increases in mortality due to cold waves are less in cold regions in Europe than in warmer ones.

Also motality which are related with the cold waves, are more serious to people who are vulnerable to the cold such as very young or old ages, outdoor people, alcoholics, and having other diseases.

Social Problems (Transfer & Economy)

Damage to infrastructure ranges from the breakdown of power plants, power supply and telecommunication systems and drinking water supplies, reduced oil and gas production and, in some areas, the isolation of human settlements from the outside world for weeks on end.

Extreme winter cold often causes poorly insulated water pipelines and mains to freeze. Even some poorly protected indoor plumbing ruptures as water expands within them, causing much damage to property and costly insurance claims.

Demand for electrical power and fuels rises dramatically during such times, even though the generation of electrical power may fail due to the freezing of water necessary for the generation of hydroelectricity. Some metals may become brittle at low temperatures.

Motor vehicles may fail as antifreeze fails and motor oil gels, resulting even in the failure of the transportation system with consequent reductions in economic activity and in the delivery of supplies to the population. Road traffic accidents increase.

Agriculture and forestry are confronted with a loss of profits, even extending to total losses of field crop, fruit and vegetables.

Cold Wave