Coastal communities face double blow of heatwaves and surging seas: Study

Call for better preparation for extreme weather events occurring at same time

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HONG KONG - Coastal communities need to prepare for simultaneous extreme weather events as heatwaves increasingly overlap with surges in sea levels due to climate change, warned a study published on April 11.

Extreme heat and sea levels are typically monitored and studied individually, but researchers from Hong Kong Polytechnic University found they were occurring simultaneously a phenomenon that could multiply fivefold by the midcentury.

The study's lead author Mo Zhao told AFP these events pose "very dangerous" risks, from deadly heat to floods, that may "exceed the coping capacity" of communities to respond.

"We don't have sufficient resources or sufficient human resources to handle these two extremes," she said.