Heat exposure of older people across world to double by 2050, finds study

York on 19 July 2022, the UK’s hottest day on record. Heat exposure among older Europeans is predicted to treble by 2050. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

The heat exposure of older people will at least double in all continents by 2050, according to a study that highlights the combined risk posed by a heating world and an ageing population.

Compared with today, there will be up to an extra 250 million people aged 69 or above who are exposed to dangerous levels of heat, defined as 37.5C. The paper warned this is likely to create biological and social vulnerability hotspots with increasing concentrations of older adults and high temperature extremes.