It’s already very, very hot in the Middle East, but by the end of the current century it may be so hot that no one can even live there.
Parts of the Persian Gulf could become so hot that some major population centers in the region will be too dangerous for humans to live in, reports the New York Times.
Right now, the article notes, when temperatures reach certain heights — a “wet bulb” temperature of 95 degrees, with translates to a heat index of a whopping 165 degrees — can kill thousands of people, especially the young, the old, and the sick. If those temperatures become sustained, though, even healthy adults could die.
Some parts of the Middle East “are likely to experience temperature levels that are intolerable to humans,” according to a paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change.
Outside of the obvious human population issues, there are serious business concerns to this problem. After all, the Middle East is a growing market for business. The energy industry would also obviously be affected.