Regional and rural communities are being warned to expect more heatwaves as towns and cities around the country swelter through record-breaking temperatures.
Extreme heat is now considered Australia’s deadliest disaster with more than 1,000 deaths in the past four years alone.
That’s more people than any other natural hazard.
The warning comes ahead of Extreme Heat Awareness Day (Wednesday,4 February) which reminds locals to not dismiss extreme heat as ‘just another hot day’.
Australian Red Cross Urban Climate Resilience Program (UCRP) Program Lead Eilish Maguire says heatwaves should not been seen as just a harmless part of life in Australia.
“What we normalise today becomes tomorrow’s risk. Extreme heat events are becoming longer, more intense and more disruptive, and without preparation they can have serious and lasting impacts on health, wellbeing and livelihoods,” Ms Maguire said.
“We saw this with the recent heatwaves across Australia, everyone is at risk during extreme heat, but some people face far greater danger. Checking in on neighbours, making a plan and knowing when and where to cool down can save lives.”
Wednesday, 4 February marks Extreme Heat Awareness Day an initiative by Australian Red Cross and Sweltering Cities who are urging Australians to take extreme heat seriously and not dismiss it as just another hot day.
For more information and practical resources, visit https://www.redcross.org.au/extremeheat/
To learn first aid skills: https://www.redcross.org.au/firstaid/courses/
