A section of Ghanaians have raised concerns over persistent hot weather conditions, with many saying the heat is affecting their daily lives and making it difficult to sleep at night.
On the streets of Accra, several residents who spoke to JoyNews complained about the ongoing heatwave, which continues through both day and night. Many described feeling uncomfortable and struggling to rest properly due to the high temperatures.
Some residents also reported symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and general weakness, which they believe may be linked to the extreme heat.
A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Physics at the University of Cape Coast, Francis Nkrumah, has explained that the situation is part of a broader climate trend.
Speaking on the Midday News on Joy FM, he said the current conditions are not entirely unusual.
“What is happening now in terms of the heat wave, it’s usual,” he stated, pointing to long-term changes in global temperatures.
According to him, human activities have contributed to a steady rise in temperatures over the years.
“Over the years, the temperatures have been going up,” he said, adding that “what we are seeing is actually following the trend of high temperatures.”
Dr Nkrumah noted that additional factors are intensifying the heat, pointing to the El Niño phenomenon as a key contributor.
He explained that El Niño involves changes in ocean temperatures in the Pacific Ocean, which have wide-ranging global effects.
“When we have this El Niño effect, what happens is that it increases the global temperature. So it releases heat into the atmosphere,” he said.
He added that this year’s El Niño could be particularly strong.
“It is even observed that this year the El Niño might be a record one, whereby by the middle of the year it will have increased,” he said.
Addressing the health concerns raised by residents, Dr Nkrumah confirmed that the reported symptoms could be linked to Heat Exhaustion.
“When the heat stress… leads to what we call heat exhaustion, people would experience symptoms like headache, dizziness, weakness, and even at times vomiting,” he explained.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com