Public responses to heat health alerts in the United Kingdom

INTRODUCTION

With climate change projected to lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves in the United Kingdom, effectively communicating with the public about the need for heat protection behaviours during these events is becoming increasingly important. In this study we investigated public responses to a severe heat event on 25^th July 2019, where forecast temperatures had triggered a Level 3 heat health warning (“heatwave action”) in multiple regions.

METHODOLOGY

Between 7^th-8^th August 2019 a sample of 520 UK residents in Greater London and Yorkshire and Humberside were recruited through Qualtrics Panels to complete an online survey on their experience of high temperatures on July 25^th. They were asked to indicate 1) whether they recalled receiving a heat health alert; 2) trust in the alert (if recalled); 3) perceived normality of the temperature; 4) perceived pleasantness of the temperature; and 5) engagement in heat protective (e.g. sunscreen, drinking water, opening windows at night) and heat avoidant (e.g. staying in the shade, avoiding midday sun, avoiding physical exertion) behaviours.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 293 (56.3%) reporting seeing or hearing a heat health warning. Using regression analyses we find that heat protective behaviours are associated with recalled exposure to heat health alerts as well as perceiving temperature to be less pleasant and warmer than usual. However, recalled exposure to heat health alerts was not a significant predictor of heat avoidant behaviours. Where heat health messaging was recalled, trust was a consistent predictor of both heat protective and heat avoidant behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

While our findings suggest that while heat health messaging is associated with greater uptake of some heat protective behaviours, this may be contingent on trust in heat health messaging. Moreover, having positive feelings towards warm weather may attenuate willingness to engage in heat protective and avoidant behaviours. We discuss the implications of this for the communication of heat alerts and warnings by national meteorological services.