Report warns of rising health risks in Leeds from increasing temperatures due to climate change

‘Heat in the City: Our Health in a Warming Leeds’ – this year’s annual report by Director of Public Health, Victoria Eaton – highlights the growing threat of heat-related illness and calls for collective city-wide action to protect residents now and in the future.

Leeds has seen record-breaking temperatures in recent years, including the 2022 heatwave when the city hit 40 degrees Celsius (C) for the first time.

The report warns of the link between hot weather and a rise in hospital admissions and deaths – as seen in the 2022 heatwaves, when an estimated 2,985 died in England during the hottest periods.

Extreme heat can make breathing harder and put extra strain on the heart, circulatory system and kidneys as they work to cool the body, with vulnerable groups – such as older adults, children, pregnant woman, people with long-term health conditions – most at risk.

Densely-populated, inner-city areas, where manmade surfaces such as concrete and asphalt absorb and retain heat, greenspace is reduced and tall buildings block airflow, creates a phenomenon known as the ‘urban heat island effect’, where temperatures can be up to 8 degrees Celsius (C) hotter than in rural areas.

Increasing temperatures due to climate change also introduce new threats such as longer pollen seasons, increased asthma cases during thunderstorms and the potential spread of diseases such as Lyme disease from ticks and mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika.

The report highlights some of the creative projects and initiatives already happening across the city to combat climate change, including work to enhance biodiversity such as through the creation of the city centre ‘Aire Park’ and the planting of 100 community orchards - with Leeds set to reach the most in the UK outside of London – as well as the distribution of hot weather packs for people most at risk.

Key recommendations for city-wide action within the report include:

• Expanding access to cool spaces;
• Integrating more heat resilience into urban planning;
• Continuing to prioritise investment in energy-efficient housing;
• Raising public awareness of the impacts of heat on health as well as ensuring frontline workers have the tools they need to support vulnerable groups.

Victoria Eaton, Leeds City Council’s director of public health, said “Rising temperatures affect everyone but the health risks aren’t equal.

“People in our most deprived and densely-populated areas – especially older adults, young children, pregnant women and those with long-term conditions – face the greatest risks.”

Councillor Fiona Venner, executive member for equality, health and wellbeing, said “Climate change is a health crisis. The choices we make today will shape the wellbeing of future generations.

“Together we can create a Leeds that not only adapts to rising temperatures but thrives in spite of them.”

The report was praised by the Association of Directors of Public Health as “particularly innovative,” and supports Leeds’s ambition to become the UK’s first net-zero city by 2030.

To view the report and accompanying film, visit https://observatory.leeds.gov.uk/dph-report/