Highlights
- Scientific study shows that more Australians have died of extreme heat events than any other natural disasters.
- BOM forecasts a prolonged humid summer which could cause serious health problems.
- Figures from the Victorian emergency department show that half of hospital presentations for sunburn during summer 2018-19 were children.
Experts warn that people should take extra precaution indoors and outdoors to prevent sun and heat-related health problems.
Australia may have passed its hottest summer on record, but the Bureau of Meteorology’s head of operational climate services, Dr Andrew Watkins, expects that despite the cooler La Niña weather event, we will still experience heatwaves over this summer.
