When heatwaves hit the countryside

One of the consequences of global warming, heatwaves have caused far more casualties in Europe in recent years than any other extreme weather event. Depending on their intensity and duration, heatwaves pose a prolonged health risk not only in cities but also in the countryside. However, studies on the number of deaths caused by high temperatures have mostly focused on urban areas, with less attention paid to more rural parts.

To fill this gap in research, a new study conducted as part of the EU-funded OPERANDUM project has focused on two rural areas in the United Kingdom: Southeast England and Aberdeenshire in Scotland. The study found that heatwaves are making more people in Britain’s countryside seriously ill than in the 1980s. The research results were published in the journal ‘Sustainable Cities and Society’.

“Heatwaves are getting deadlier, even in Britain,” observes study co-author Prof. Prashant Kumar of OPERANDUM project partner University of Surrey in a news release posted on ‘EurekAlert!’ “We already knew that the urban heat island effect exacerbates the problem in cities, but now we also have proof that people living in less built-up areas are also threatened.” In their study, the researchers highlight the need for heat mitigation strategies that take into account rural areas and the vulnerable populations living there.

The research team studied the death rates and maximum daily temperatures in Southeast England and Aberdeenshire over a period of 38 years, from 1981 to 2018. The two sites were chosen as representatives of typical semi-urban and lesser built-up regions of the United Kingdom – differing in their geography and demography – that are affected by heatwaves.The study found that people living in Southeast England are now 7 % more likely to die prematurely at extreme temperatures, namely when temperatures rise by 6 ℃, from 26.5 ℃ to 32.3 ℃. In Aberdeenshire, the risk of dying prematurely increases by 4 % when temperatures rise from 24.5 ℃ to 26.7 ℃.

“The problem of rising temperatures is pronounced in southern England, but it’s probably only a matter of time before northern areas experience the same,” explains Prof. Kumar. “More needs to be done to prepare for hot weather, and leaders in government – whether national, devolved or local – need to update their heat action plans and identify how to protect vulnerable people during heatwaves.”

The OPERANDUM (OPEn-air laboRAtories for Nature baseD solUtions to Manage hydro-meteo risks) project aims to enable the co-design, co-development, testing and demonstration of nature-based solutions that reduce hydro-meteorological risks in Europe and to promote the business exploitation of these solutions. The 4.5-year project was launched in July 2018 and brings together academic, research and business partners from all over the world.

For more information, please see:

OPERANDUM project website