A new study published in Nature Climate Change has revealed that abrupt and significant day-to-day temperature fluctuations are increasing in both frequency and severity due to climate change, posing a serious and unique threat to public health.

Conducted by scientists from Nanjing University and the Institute of Atmospheric Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the research highlights the growing risks associated with these sharp temperature variations.

The study indicates that across low to mid-latitude regions, sudden temperature swings are becoming more prevalent. Utilizing a technique known as optimal fingerprinting, the researchers confirmed that human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are the main drivers behind this alarming trend.

Climate projections suggest that the situation will continue to deteriorate. In a high-emission scenario, the frequency of these abrupt temperature swings could increase by approximately 17 percent by 2100, with their total intensity expected to rise by 20 percent.

This escalation would impact areas that collectively are home to more than 80 percent of the global population, further underscoring the need for urgent action in addressing climate change.

The study also explores the physical mechanisms behind these trends. According to Xu Zhongfeng, a professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, global warming exacerbates soil drought and enhances variability in sea-level pressure and soil moisture.

These environmental changes diminish the thermal capacity of the land, leading to pronounced fluctuations in cloud cover and solar radiation, which ultimately result in more extreme temperature variations from one day to the next.

Of particular concern are the significant health impacts linked to these abrupt temperature changes. The study found a strong, near-exponential relationship between day-to-day temperature variability and all-cause mortality based on data from Jiangsu Province in East China and the United States.

The study highlights that the risks of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are particularly heightened due to these fluctuations.

"This study establishes extreme day-to-day temperature variability as a distinct and independent category of extreme climate event," stated Fu Congbin, a CAS academician.

"Global warming is systematically amplifying these temperature swings in the most populated regions of the world, posing a significant challenge to public health and ecosystem stability. We urge international scientific bodies to formally recognize this as a new type of extreme weather event," he added.