Science Story

02 December 2008 23:08 BST

Elderly 'suffering most' in heatwaves

The extent to which elderly people have suffered in the recent heatwaves which have hit the UK, mainland Europe and the US has been underestimated, it has been claimed.

A report published today by the US-based National Academy On An Ageing Society, which analyses the impact of the 1995 Chicago heatwave on different demographic groups, found that those over the age of 60 did not receive sufficient help when forced to deal with the adverse weather conditions.

Instead the report notes that "people of advanced age were disproportionately overlooked, abandoned, or forgotten," while pointing out that 75 per cent of the heatwave's victims were over 60 years old.

Given the extreme likelihood of more frequent and severe heatwaves during the twenty-first century as a result of global warming, more should be done to help the elderly when weather conditions become extreme, it argues.

"Just as normal emergency response systems become overloaded in times of disaster, functional seniors are among the first groups to become challenged beyond their reserves," the report concludes.

Hundreds of lives have been claimed by the current heatwave which has swept across much of the US in the last month. Massive forest fires and power blackouts have also resulted in the high temperatures, reaching up to 43C in some areas.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, France has suffered especially badly in the last month from heatwave conditions. Over 100 people died during July as southern Europe endured one of its hottest ever summers.