We need to protect ourselves much better against coming heat waves

Heat waves are becoming more frequent in Germany and many other regions of the world and their intensity and duration are also increasing. Climate scientists are certain that we will experience more extremes in Germany in the future, far exceeding the previous heatwaves of the record-breaking summers of 2003, 2018 and 2022. Compared to other extreme weather events, such as floods, heat waves put many more people at risk. In Germany, several thousand people died in each of the last two heatwave summers.

Older people are particularly vulnerable, but younger people who have to work outdoors during the hot hours of the day, or who are simply active in their leisure time, also face health risks. Early warning, prevention and education are effective ways to avoid these consequences. On the one hand, early warning is about improving meteorological weather forecasts. It is important that they become more accurate and indicate heat waves much earlier than they do now. It is also important to better predict the consequences and impacts of each heat wave. This information also needs to reach stakeholders faster so they can take the necessary action: Health, labor, and disaster prevention workers. This is where we can make much greater use of artificial intelligence. In addition, there is still a great need for research into the effects of climate change.  We still know too little about the likelihood, magnitude, and consequences of possible and previously unimagined future heat waves.

The good news is that many cities are already working on heat protection plans. Such plans include, for example, opening public facilities with air conditioning as “heat shelters” and preparing hospitals. The city of Karlsruhe is also developing an app that shows cool places to go to on hot days. In the long term, we need more green roofs, more greenery in the city in general, and we should be careful not to block fresh air corridors. As a general rule, no one should work outside in the heat, or at least work should be reduced. Workers and employers should reach an agreement so that work schedules can be adjusted in response to official heat warnings. More needs to be done in terms of education. Following the American example of Hurricane Awareness Day, a Heat Wave Day could be proclaimed here in late spring. Neighborhoods could also be sensitized through social and traditional media to ensure that older single people and other vulnerable residents drink enough water during a heat wave.

In any case, the coming heat waves are one of the biggest challenges of climate change in Germany. We can already expect maximum temperatures of well over 40 degrees Celsius on several days in the summer. Time is running out for prevention, and we must act now.