Rising sea surface temperatures in coastal waters are leading to a 50% to 64% increase in large-scale humid heatwaves over land, a new research paper has flagged.
The study, published in Nature Geoscience, found that warming Indian Ocean waters are closely linked to rising humid heat risks in South and West Asia.
The researchers used a complex network approach applied to climate reanalysis data to show that the observed intensification of humid heatwaves is closely associated with coastal oceanic warming over the period 1982–2023.
The study also found that these land–ocean linkages largely arise from tropical ocean-driven moisture transport towards land regions.
According to the researchers, better understanding these land-ocean interactions can help to improve climate adaptation strategies and coastal sea surface temperatures emerge as a potential early warning indicator for widespread humid heat extremes.
