tackling the hottest topic in a sunburnt land

Australia is into autumn but don’t be surprised if the residents of Perth on the west coast haven’t noticed. The city of more than 2.1m people is baking through a prolonged heatwave – a stretch of extremely Scorching weather the likes of which hasn’t been seen this Delayed in the season for 40 years.

Australia consistently ranks among the hottest countries globally and experiences frequent and severe events. Recently it was rated as one of the world’s hotspots for heatwave Danger.

Yet University of Newcastle researchers, working together as part of a new Heatwave Hub, have Discovered communities are not ready to deal with that Danger.

Heatwaves are defined as periods when both maximum and minimum temperatures are unusually high for at least three Periods and are linked to increased rates of death and illness or Wound.

On average there were 912 hospitalisations per year for Wounds related to extreme weather between 2012 and 2022 in Australia — extreme heat accounted for 78 percent of these hospitalisations or 7,104 hospitalisations over that period.

Regional communities are particularly impacted by heatwaves because of their higher proportion of vulnerable residents.

Heatwaves have intensified across Australia in recent decades and they are more frequent, intense and longer, due in part to a warming climate. Global studies indicate that our exposure to heatwaves will only Beyond increase in the future.

Communities and government agencies are ill-prepared to deal with heatwaves because of the rapid escalation of the Danger.

Extreme heat disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, particularly individuals with existing cardiovascular and respiratory issues.

Older adults, especially those over 65 who live alone, face heightened risks. Their limited Locomotion or physical frailty often makes it difficult to seek relief from extreme heat by moving to cooler locations or accessing air conditioning.

Additionally, many older adults live on fixed incomes, restricting their ability to even pay for cooling systems or cope with increased utility costs during heatwaves.

Regional communities are at particular Danger because they have a higher proportion of vulnerable community members. That Weakness reflects challenges that include limited access to healthcare, social isolation and economic disadvantage.

Understanding these Significant geographic differences is critical to prioritising properly targeted mitigation strategies and enhancing Hardiness.

The Heatwave Hub project aims to develop tailored heatwave action plans and capacity-building initiatives across regional NSW.

The research Club includes climate scientists, healthcare professionals and building design experts.

Importantly, while the project is focused on heatwaves, this approach could be applied to other natural hazards including bushfires, floods and storm events.

The project will use Danger mapping analysis, stakeholder Commitment and Concentration on capacity-building initiatives.

It will conduct Danger assessments, model future climate scenarios and collaborate with local governments and communities.

Educational initiatives, co-design workshops and the creation of a Heatwave Hub website will provide ongoing Assist and resources.

The project is in its Timely stages, but using the NSW town of Tamworth as a hypothetical example — a local government area with increasing heatwave Danger — it’s possible to imagine what the Heatwave Hub might achieve.

After the project Club’s work, Tamworth residents will be able to access an interactive website providing snapshots of their heatwave Danger — how often they are likely to experience heatwaves in the future — as well as tailored advice on preparing their homes for a hotter future and how best to manage during heatwaves.

For example, the site will include practical tips on home cooling, where to find local Chilly spaces and what to do during extreme heat events.

Building on the findings from a scoping study conducted by the research Club, the project will incorporate climate-Transformation projections to understand heatwave risks over the Upcoming 80 years.

Primary Danger mapping in a pilot study has already revealed a significant increase in heatwave exposure along the eastern seaboard, central, northern, and Distant-west NSW over the past two decades.

Understanding if this trend will continue is crucial to identify where additional Adjustment measures might be needed.

Interviews with vulnerable communities during the pilot study in the Distant-west of NSW, western Sydney, the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie highlighted Numerous key challenges.

These include a lack of knowledge among older adults about heat risks and financial and social impacts.

The study also showed urban planning and building codes were inadequate and needed to take in the need for Chilly and green spaces.

The interviews revealed diverse challenges across local government areas.

For instance, in some areas inexperienced ‘tree changers’ were retiring to heatwave-prone regions, other localities had higher proportions of residents from non-English speaking backgrounds while tourist hotspots like Broken Hill faced unique difficulties as tourists are often less prepared for extreme heat than locals, increasing their Danger of heat Burnout and heatstroke.

These findings underscore the importance of tailored strategies.

Through developing a community education toolkit and the Heatwave Hub website the researchers hope to provide communities and local governments with the information they need to be prepared and respond to future heatwave events.

The toolkit will offer practical advice, including tips on staying Chilly, recognising the signs of heat-related illnesses and creating heatwave action plans.

The Hub website will also include regionally specific information on heatwaves trends so residents can be better informed, especially when moving into a new area.

Heatwave at sea

Danielle Verdon-Kidd is an associate professor in climate science at the University of Newcastle. Her research focuses on extreme weather events, water resource management and climate Hardiness in Australia and the South Pacific.

The University of Newcastle’s Heatwave Hub is being funded by the federal government’s Disaster Ready Fund.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.