We should name heatwaves like storms – lives depend on it

When the sun shines in Wales we celebrate it, but heatwaves are dangerous, says Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales

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WHEN the sun shines in Wales we celebrate it.

A day at the beach, a picnic in the park, all pursuits that aid our well-being after a long winter, while front pages carry photos of dripping ice-cream cones and salute another “scorcher”.

But as the thermometer nudges past 30°C again this week, it's time to delve a little deeper.

Prolonged, extreme heat isn’t normal, and we aren't prepared for its side-effects.

My role is to be a guardian of future generations under Wales’ Well-being of Future Generations Act, but also to make sure those in charge are doing all they can so we can live well today.

And climate change isn’t just a future problem - it’s happening now, and heatwaves are one of its most lethal symptoms.

Globally, heat kills more people than floods, earthquakes, and hurricanes combined. According to insurance company Swiss Re, an estimated 500,000 people lose their lives every year to extreme heat.

Yet here in Wales, high temperatures are not yet being treated as the public health emergency they often are.

Academics have been leading a growing movement to name heatwaves in the same way we name storms ~ a simple, but powerful message.

When we hear that Storm Babet is on its way, we know to prepare ~to check in on neighbours, avoid travel, and follow emergency guidance.