Heatwaves to become the norm in SA, new report says

As South Australia swelters in extreme heat, a new report has warned that catastrophic heatwaves will become more common.

As South Australia swelters in extreme heat, a new report has warned that catastrophic heatwaves will become more common.

The report, released today, shows SA faces a staggering increase in the number of days above 35C and above 40C over the coming decades. In some areas, days over 35C could ultimately triple, while days over 40C could be six times as common.

Adelaide will face 41C today and 40C on Wednesday, with even higher temperatures predicted in other parts of the state, prompting a Code Red alert.

The Australia Institute’s HeatWatch: Extreme heat in Adelaide report has used CSIRO and Bureau of Meteorology data to map Adelaide’s increasing heat if nothing is done about climate change.

It used three areas of Adelaide – the eastern half of the CBD and the eastern suburbs, the western equivalent, and an area around Adelaide airport – based on where measurement stations are.

The report found:

IN THE EAST days over 35C will climb from an average of 18 days a year to 27 days by 2030 and 51 days by 2090. The number of days above 40C will rise from a long-term average of 2.6 to six days by 2030 and 19 days by 2090.

IN THE WEST days over 35C would go from an average of 18 days a year to 27 by 2030, and 51 days by 2090. Days over 40C would go from 2.6 days to 6 days by 2030, and 19 days by 2090..

IN THE AIRPORT REGION days over 35C would rise from 17 days a year to 26 days by 2030, and up to 50 days by 2090 while days over 40C would rise from 2.5 to 6 days by 2030 and 19 days by 2090.

These are the projections under a “business-as-usual” approach, where not enough is done globally to halt climate change.

“Adelaide already has the highest heatwave death rate of any major Australian city,” the report stated.

“Increases in extreme heat projected by the CSIRO as a result of global warming will escalate this vulnerability to dangerous levels unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced.

“Heatwaves have caused more deaths in Australia since 1890 than cyclones, bushfires, floods, earthquakes and severe storms combined.”

The temperature of 35C is seen as a critical health threshold after which heat affects sleep, patterns in domestic violence, reduces exercise, and can cause irritability and psychological stress.

The Institute’s SA projects manager Noah Schultz-Byard said it would only get worse if nothing was done.

“This report paints a clear and unnerving picture of the very real way that global warming will affect all aspects of our state, including our productivity, livelihoods, infrastructure and economy,” he said.

“Having even hotter days, even more regularly, will be devastating for people in SA.”