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Heat and public health

Extreme heat poses a significant and growing public health risk, affecting mortality, morbidity, and the functioning of health systems.

Heat exposure can exacerbate existing health conditions, overwhelm health services, and widen health inequalities, particularly among populations with limited access to cooling, care, and information.

Please find the following selections on effective public health preparedness, surveillance, and coordination action across sectors. You can use the search bar to find the specific content you are looking for.

Who does extreme heat discriminate against?
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Young Latin male tennis player resting and drinking water on tennis court in sunny hot day at summer
Update
How heat research is keeping professional tennis safe

With extreme heat a growing challenge for summer sport, University of Sydney researchers are working with Tennis Australia to develop evidence-based tools to keep players safe at the Australian Open.

University of Sydney
Update
How climate change is burning Kenya’s outdoor workers

Kenya's outdoor workers face rising skin damage as climate change drives higher heat and UV exposure. Dermatologists report more burns, pigmentation issues and infections, while costly sunscreen limits protection for millions.

Science and Development Network
Update
Major competition undergoes sudden change as catastrophic threat looms over venue: 'Some of the most significant … we have seen'

The Australian Open tennis tournament, scheduled for the second half of January amid peak summer weather in the Southern Hemisphere, has been forced to rearrange some of its matches and adjust court assignments.

The Cool Down
Outback mining town in North of Western Australia
Research briefs
Climate change eclipses La Niña cooling in Australia to drive extreme heatwave and heightened fire risk

From 5–10 January, 2026, south-eastern Australia experienced its most severe heatwave since 2019–20. Temperatures exceeded 40°C in major cities including Melbourne and Sydney, with even hotter conditions across regional Victoria and New South Wale.

World Weather Attribution
Update
How to adapt cardiovascular and kidney care in a changing climate

By 2050, climate change could contribute to 14.5 million additional deaths, $12.5 trillion in economic losses and $1.1 trillion in extra healthcare costs. Health adaptation makes the conversation about climate change real and urgent in the here and now.

World Economic Forum (WEF)
Update
The real pain of climate change is easy to feel, but increasingly difficult to study

Many chronic pain patients cite the weather as a driver of their suffering, and climate change is making the torment more likely and harder to deal with. But research on the relationship is uncertain, and federal cuts could hold it back.

Inside Climate News
A child sits on a boat on a polluted river in Negro River, Amazon
Update
Marine heat waves and raw sewage combine to put human health at risk

Earlier this year, a spate of deaths in Florida caused by a flesh-eating bacteria, made headlines. Infections of this kind are on the rise as ocean temperatures surge higher and marine heat waves increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change.

Mongabay
Update
City dwellers face unequal heat exposure en route to the Metro

Socioeconomic factors drive how much extreme heat public transit users in Chicago, NYC, and Washington, D.C., experience as they walk to and from metro stations.

Eos - AGU
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