Heatwaves caused more than 1,000 deaths in Australia over four-year period, study finds

The national climate risk assessment, published this week, suggests annual heat-related deaths at 2C of warming would go up by 190% in Sydney and 126% in Melbourne compared with today’s levels. Photograph: David Gray/AFP/Getty Images

Heatwaves caused 1,009 deaths in Australia from 2016 to 2019, according to a new analysis led by researchers at Monash University.

As the national climate risk assessment identified heatwaves as the climate hazard causing the most deaths, the newly published study found Queensland and New South Wales were the states with the highest mortality rates attributable to heatwaves.