Communicating Extreme Heat and Health

Extreme weather conditions and climate‑related events increasingly shape daily life and the functioning of essential infrastructure. Human societies and built environments are vulnerable to a broad spectrum of environmental hazards, including forest fires, drought, rising sea levels, extreme precipitation and prolonged extreme heat and heat waves. Among these hazards, extreme heat poses one of the most immediate and pervasive risks, particularly in densely populated urban areas where people are exposed to intensified thermal stress. This exposure is expected to increase further in the coming decades as climate change progresses and urbanisation continues.

Communicating effectively about heat therefore requires a comprehensive and multifaceted approach. It must address short‑term exposure during both daytime and nighttime, highlight the importance of cool shelters, and promote the creation and maintenance of urban areas with naturally lower thermal loads, such as parks, shaded streets, water features and green spaces. These environments not only reduce heat exposure but also support physical and mental well‑being during extreme weather events.

Clear and targeted communication is essential to ensure that information, warnings and explanations reach the media, decision‑makers and the public in an appropriate and timely manner. Different target groups—such as vulnerable populations, health professionals, city planners or journalists—have distinct needs, expectations and decision‑making contexts. Communication strategies must therefore be tailored, easy to understand and enriched with practical solutions, behavioural recommendations and examples of effective adaptation measures. In addition to formal heat‑health warnings, messages should be framed in accessible language and supported by visual tools that help translate complex climate‑health relationships into actionable guidance.

A series of examples will be presented and analysed, using heat as a central case to illustrate key principles of effective communication. These insights draw on recent experiences with public and media communication across Europe and highlight the growing importance of clear, science‑based messaging in a warming world.