Queensland Heatwave Response Plan December 2004
Produced by the Queensland Government Department of Health

In 2003 more that 14,000 people died in France due to an intense 20 day heat wave. During August of that year over 35,000 Europeans died tragically in a scenario that we must prepare for in Australia. 

Without complete awareness of the risks that lie ahead – and a much larger community first aid capability and support for our emergency volunteer NGOs – lives are at risk.

It’s surprising how big of a risk heat wave is. In the US for example, 1500 people died of heat stress compared to 86 who died in floods or 76 who died in tornados and hurricanes, if you compare the 10 year average from 1993 to 2002. 

In Australia heat wave is a real risk. According to the 2004 Queensland Heatwave Response Plan, “In Australia during the 20th Century, heat waves caused more deaths than any other natural hazard except disease, yet remains one of the least-studied and most underrated hazards (Emergency Management Australia 2004).”

According to this Plan, over the last 10 years with the exception of 1999, heatwave conditions have been experienced in South East Queensland on two or more days every year.

People most at risk include the aged and frail – especially people who live alone – and babies, children, the homeless, people taking certain medications, people with disabilities, and people working outside.

Unless we prepare the community and bolster our emergency response capability including the crucial volunteer sector what happened in Europe could happen here.

According to the Earth Policy Institute, these were the heat wave impacts across Europe five years ago:

The NASA Goddard Institute tracks a worrying trend in average temperatures:

The risk of hotter days is most pronounced in Australia’s North. According to the Department of Climate Change:

“Temperature rises, combined with population growth, are projected to see 3000 to 5000 more people die each year from heat-related illnesses by 2050, with those living in temperate cities at greater risk.

By 2050, the number of heat-related deaths in our capital cities (Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth) is expected to more than triple to between 4300-6300 a year.”

The implications for Darwin are profound – “A rise in average temperatures of 2 or 3oC and an increased number of very hot days over 35 degrees Celsius for longer periods of time will have a serious impact on fragile ecosystems and may cause irreparable damage for iconic sites.

Climate change could cause an increase in the number of days in Darwin over 35oC from 11 a year to 28-69 by 2030 and 49-308 by 2070.”

Extreme weather is a chance for community heroes to protect communities and lives – as long as we connect the dots between what scientists predict, and how our emergency response volunteers become inspired.

This is what the Green Cross Extreme Weather Heroes program is all about.

This page was created for our French exchange student Sarah Onave who taught us
about the devistating impacts of the French heat wave of 2003.