A new study has found that extreme heat events have significantly increased the risk of death in Canada's largest cities over the past two decades.
Statistics Canada reported on Wednesday that data from the Canadian Vital Statistics Database and Environment and Climate Change Canada reveal that between 2000 and 2020, extreme heat events were associated with approximately 670 excess non-accidental deaths and 230 excess deaths due to cardiovascular and respiratory causes.
The study highlights that the majority of these excess deaths occurred among individuals aged 65 years and older.
Mortality risks were notably higher in cities with larger proportions of rental households and those that experienced fewer extreme heat events. This suggests that residents in these areas may have limited access to adaptation resources or may be less acclimatized to heat.
Environment and Climate Change Canada defines extreme heat events as periods of two or more consecutive days with unusually high temperatures.
Reference(s):
Extreme heat linked to higher risk of dying in Canada's largest cities
cgtn.com
