Why older women are hit hardest by deadly heatwaves

Brutal heatwaves have been gripping the United States, India and other parts of the world, and older people – especially women – are most vulnerable to their effects. The issue was at the heart of the recent landmark court decision over Switzerland’s responsibility for handling climate change. What’s behind it? 2023 was the hottest year on record, and perhaps even the warmest summer in 2,000 years, as new research suggests. Switzerland is no stranger to heatwaves, with blistering summers in 2003, 2015, 2018 and 2019, and record heatwaves in 2022 and 2023. As human-caused climate change drives temperatures higher, dangerous heatwaves are becoming more frequent and severe, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has reported. Older adults, especially over 75, women and people with chronic diseases are among the most vulnerable, especially when temperatures soar above 30°C. Elderly women and heatwaves were at the centre of the landmark European Court of Human Rights ...