Heat and public health

This study finds that age-specific heat tolerance thresholds dramatically increase estimates of future heat exposure, with older adults facing severe risks under global warming.

This report reviews India's growing heat risk, the evolution of Heat Action Plans, financing mechanisms, and emerging governance approaches to strengthen climate resilience and public health protection.

Soaring temperatures can be detrimental to the health of older adults

A Stanford Medicine-developed app shows that older adults’ geographic movements — also known as their life-space mobility — shrink in extreme heat that makes leaving the house difficult.

UK: Nurses fainting in ‘inhumane’ conditions due to extreme heat

Nurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned.

USA: Extreme heat may drive asthma risk, especially at night

A study paints a fuller picture of how heat affects respiratory health, especially in Baltimore’s socially vulnerable neighborhoods.

Marine heatwaves pose hidden threat to human health

The devastating impacts of marine heatwaves extend far beyond dying coral reefs and declining fisheries, with new research warning these extreme ocean warming events are posing a growing threat to humans’ physical and mental health.

USA: Chronic pain is missing from heat warnings

When a heat wave arrives, the public health advice follows a familiar script: drink water, watch for heat stroke, check on people with heart or lung conditions. That list saves lives. But it leaves out chronic pain.

This 2025 Lancet Countdown report finds rising heat, drought and climate-related health risks are threatening SIDS, while adaptation and climate finance efforts remain insufficient.