Rising tensions among the world’s major powers have once again revived fears of a global conflict that could lead to the total destruction of humanity.
As the world continues to witness escalating confrontations in the Middle East, the question troubling everyone is: Is there any safe place if a nuclear war breaks out?
### 100 Million Degrees Celsius and the “Nuclear Winter”
According to a scientific study published in the prestigious journal Nature, the consequences of a war involving the current nuclear arsenals (around 12,000 nuclear warheads) would be catastrophic.
“Armageddon expert” Annie Jacobsen, author of the book Nuclear War: A Scenario, explains that the first strikes would immediately kill hundreds of millions of people with fireballs reaching temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius.
However, the real devastation would come afterward. Jacobsen warns:
“Places like Iowa in the United States or Ukraine would be covered in snow for ten consecutive years. Agriculture would completely collapse, and when there is no food, people simply die.”
### The Two “Islands of Hope”
According to the study, there are only two places on Earth where people might still be able to live outdoors and continue producing food:
– Australia
– New Zealand
Why these two countries? Besides their geographical position, they are believed to have the best chance of withstanding the so-called “nuclear winter” that would block sunlight across much of the rest of the planet.
In other regions, the ozone layer would be severely damaged, allowing deadly levels of solar radiation to reach the surface. Survivors would likely be forced to live underground in order to stay alive.
### Life Underground and the Fight for Survival
For the rest of the global population — an estimated 3 billion people who might survive the initial strikes — life would become almost unimaginable.
With little sunlight and extreme temperatures, humanity would struggle in darkness, fighting over the last remaining sources of food.
### The Good News
Unlike an asteroid striking Earth, nuclear war is a disaster humanity still has the power to prevent — through diplomacy, cooperation, and nuclear disarmament, before the red buttons are ever pressed.
