Early warning of extreme heat risks
As Australia faces a long, hot summer, a study shows seniors are more vulnerable than other adults.
Parts of the country may still be shivering through winter, but older Australians are already being warned to prepare for a hot summer in 2026-27.
The extreme El Niño heat waves that have struck Europe across the northern winter are expected to generate above-average temperatures across Australia.
It comes as newly published research suggests that people older than 60 are at greater risk from hot weather than previously thought.
A study from Standford University, published in the journal, The Lancet Planetary Health, found that the temperature at which people could “no longer maintain a stable core temperature” was between 4.7 and 7.5 degrees Celsius lower for people over 60 than for young adults.
The study’s lead author, Dr Qinqin Kong, said modelling suggested that “uncompensable heat” – the point at which the body could not cool itself down – would be “much more widespread, frequent, and imminent than previously estimated”.
This is of particular concern to older people living in the hottest parts of Australia, including the Kimberley and Top End, but heat-stress events could occur elsewhere.
Dr Kong said extreme heat “can worsen cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory diseases, particularly in older adults, and physiological strain can begin before core body temperature starts rising continuously”.
Australian heat-stress scientist, Dr Matt Brearley, who was not involved in the study, told the ABC its findings were a “wake-up call”.
“Because of global warming, the elderly are going to be more vulnerable for longer, especially those in the tropical regions and places that are warming faster,” he said. “It’s going to be much worse than we thought.”
How to beat the heat
The Federal Government’s Health Direct website advises that heat has killed more people in Australia than all other extreme weather events, and that people over 65 are especially vulnerable.
It says the best way to prevent heat-related sickness is to drink plenty of water and to stay as cool as possible.
Heat-related illnesses include dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, and worsening of existing medical conditions.
Advice for keeping your body cool includes:
Stay out of the sun
Wear light-coloured and loose-fitting clothes
Take cool showers or baths
Apply sunscreen and wear a hat, if you must go outside
Plan your day around the heat (stay indoors between 11am and 3pm)
Avoid physical activity.
To keep your home cool:
Use fans or air conditioning if possible
Shut curtains and blinds during the day
Stay in the coolest room in the house
Use the stove and oven as little as possible.
If you are affected by the heat, seek urgent medical attention.
Related reading: ABC, Lancet, Health Direct
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