Experts Debate Naming Heat Waves to Enhance Public Awareness
As extreme heat continues to scorch Alberta, some experts are proposing that naming heat waves, similar to hurricanes, could enhance public awareness and communication about the associated risks. This suggestion comes amid growing concerns about the health impacts of prolonged heat waves intensified by climate change.
Caroline Metz, a member of the executive committee of Climate Proof Canada and managing director at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, emphasized the underestimated risks of heat. “Heat is serious and can be deadly. Climate change is making heat waves longer, more intense, and more frequent,” Metz said.
The idea of naming heat waves isn’t new. Seville, Spain, launched a pilot project in 2022, naming and ranking heat waves to improve public communication and response. The initiative was a collaboration between the Seville city council and the Adrienne Arsht–Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. Owen Gow, deputy director of the Extreme Heat Initiative at Arsht–Rock, highlighted the success of the project. “Naming heat waves gives us a way to talk about them, just like hurricanes,” he said.
Several other cities, including Athens, Greece, have implemented similar ranking systems. The program has since expanded to six more cities, and countries like Australia and the U.K. are considering developing their own systems. California is also set to launch a heat wave ranking system next year, developed by the California Environmental Protection Agency.
However, not everyone supports the idea. Environment and Climate Change Canada expressed concerns that naming heat waves might misdirect attention from crucial messaging about vulnerability and protective actions. Instead, the government is focusing on developing heat-health warning systems and action plans in partnership with public health and emergency management decision-makers.
Advocates argue that naming and ranking heat waves could compel governments to take the health risks associated with heat more seriously. According to Statistics Canada, from 2000 to 2020, extreme heat contributed to approximately 670 excess non-accidental deaths, 115 excess cardiovascular deaths, and 115 excess respiratory deaths in Canada’s major cities.
“We need to start talking about heat the same way we talk about other severe weather events like wildfires, floods, and hurricanes,” said Metz. “Heat causes more illnesses and deaths than any other weather hazard combined.”
With global temperatures rising, experts like Gow stress the importance of updating city infrastructure and creating emergency response plans for heat. “We need to prepare for a future that looks vastly different,” he said.
The debate over naming heat waves highlights the urgent need to address the growing threat of extreme heat and its impact on public health.