Dann Mitchell, Professor of Climate Science at the University of Bristol, has made the appeal in a world view op-ed published today in the journal Nature.

Prof Mitchell, who specialises in heat extremes, urged for future climate assessments to factor in the sustained impact on humans, warning that “the consequences for our bodies of repeated exposures to heat, drought, and wildfire smoke will mount.”

He is leading the UK Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA4) – Health and Wellbeing report for the government’s Climate Change Committee, an independent investigation of the associated risks and opportunities.

Last year marked the hottest year on record, breaching 1.5 degrees of warming for the first time since preindustrial times, and 2025 has already seen amongst the deadliest and most destructive wildfires in California history.

Some of the negative effects are clear, such as fatalities from heatstroke and increased hospital admissions of older people and babies amidst heatwaves, which put greater strain on weaker, more vulnerable bodies.

For instance, frequent, ongoing exposure to heatwaves and droughts may lead to higher rates of kidney disease due to regular spells of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Having trouble sleeping on hot, sweaty nights is often only regarded as an inconvenience but Prof Mitchell pointed out that poor quality sleep is linked to being less physically active, lower mental wellbeing, cognitive decline, and a compromised immune system.

Other consequences may be even more far-reaching and dangerous.

Read the full University of Bristol news item

‘Climate change’s effects on human health are mounting,’ a world view by Dann Mitchell in Nature