Overview of existing heat-health warning systems in Europe

TY - JOUR

T1 - Overview of existing heat-health warning systems in Europe

AU - Casanueva, Ana

AU - Burgstall, Annkatrin

AU - Kotlarski, Sven

AU - Messeri, Alessandro

AU - Morabito, Marco

AU - Flouris, Andreas D

AU - Nybo, Lars

AU - Spirig, Christoph

AU - Schwierz, Cornelia

N1 - CURIS 2019 NEXS 239

PY - 2019/8/1

Y1 - 2019/8/1

N2 - The frequency of extreme heat events, such as the summer of 2003 in Europe, and their corresponding consequences for human beings are expected to increase under a warmer climate. The joint collaboration of institutional agencies and multidisciplinary approaches is essential for a successful development of heat-health warning systems and action plans which can reduce the impacts of extreme heat on the population. The present work constitutes a state-of-the-art review of 16 European heat-health warning systems and heat-health action plans, based on the existing literature, web search (over the National Meteorological Services websites) and questionnaires. The aim of this study is to pave the way for future heat-health warning systems, such as the one currently under development in the framework of the Horizon 2020 HEAT-SHIELD project. Some aspects are highlighted among the variety of examined European warning systems. The meteorological variables that trigger the warnings should present a clear link with the impact under consideration and should be chosen depending on the purpose and target of the warnings. Setting long-term planning actions as well as pre-alert levels might prevent and reduce damages due to heat. Finally, education and communication are key elements of the success of a warning system.

AB - The frequency of extreme heat events, such as the summer of 2003 in Europe, and their corresponding consequences for human beings are expected to increase under a warmer climate. The joint collaboration of institutional agencies and multidisciplinary approaches is essential for a successful development of heat-health warning systems and action plans which can reduce the impacts of extreme heat on the population. The present work constitutes a state-of-the-art review of 16 European heat-health warning systems and heat-health action plans, based on the existing literature, web search (over the National Meteorological Services websites) and questionnaires. The aim of this study is to pave the way for future heat-health warning systems, such as the one currently under development in the framework of the Horizon 2020 HEAT-SHIELD project. Some aspects are highlighted among the variety of examined European warning systems. The meteorological variables that trigger the warnings should present a clear link with the impact under consideration and should be chosen depending on the purpose and target of the warnings. Setting long-term planning actions as well as pre-alert levels might prevent and reduce damages due to heat. Finally, education and communication are key elements of the success of a warning system.

KW - Faculty of Science

KW - Heat-health warning system

KW - Action plan

KW - Intervention strategy

KW - User-tailored

KW - Heat stress

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph16152657

DO - 10.3390/ijerph16152657

M3 - Review

C2 - 31349585

SN - 1661-7827

VL - 16

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 15

M1 - 2657

ER -