"The Met Office has predicted that hotter and drier summers could be likely to become more common as heat records are being broken more frequently, with all the challenges this brings to councils and the communities who we support."
Responding to Office for National Statistics figures showing an increase in excess deaths during periods of extreme heat earlier this year, Cllr David Fothergill. Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board said:
“As these new statistics show, the most recent period of extreme heat represented a significant health risk to those who are older or have a health condition that places them at greater risk.
“These conditions include heart conditions, diabetes, respiratory or renal insufficiency, Parkinson’s disease or severe mental illness.
“The Met Office has predicted that hotter and drier summers could be likely to become more common as heat records are being broken more frequently, with all the challenges this brings to councils and the communities who we support.
“We must start to adapt to ensure our residents, our homes and buildings, and our local infrastructure can remain as resilient as possible to the threat of extreme weather. As well as this, the Government must work with councils and others to turbo charge efforts to bring down carbon emissions and achieve our net zero targets, limiting further temperature increases in the future.”