Extreme hot and cold driving inland health emergencies

Poppy Johnston | January 8, 2026

Both extreme heat and cold are responsible for one in 15 visits to the emergency department in Australia’s biggest inland city.

Canberra, known for both bitter winters and scorching summers, experienced a greater share of cold-related health emergencies in the two decades to 2021, at roughly four per cent of all presentations, or 57,600 incidents.

Blistering heat is also a major driver of emergency presentations in the Australian Capital Territory’s hospitals, making up 2.5 per cent.

The Australian National University research suggests extremely hot days will become a bigger driver of health emergencies under human-caused climate change.

As the warming climate produces more high temperatures and heatwave events, the study projects heat conditions to climb to 2.7 per cent of all emergency presentations between 2040 and 2061.

By then, cold will still be a bigger cause of serious health incidents in the nation’s capital, but the proportion of all emergency presentations should ease to 3.2 per cent.

Australia’s inland cities and towns have been largely overlooked in studies of health issues caused by weather extremes, with much of the focus concentrated on the big coastal capitals.

Inland climates tend to be more variable than their coastal counterparts, typically experiencing colder winters and hotter summers.

The latest insights into human health and climate extremes lands as southern Australia swelters through the some of the highest temperatures seen in years.

Canberra can expect temperatures in the high 30s on Thursday, with the Bureau of Meteorology warning temperatures could reach 45C further inland in the days-long heatwave impacting every state except Queensland.

Authorities are also alert to extreme fire conditions.

Lead author of the ACT study, Michael Tong, said Australians should be taking steps to protect themselves from climate extremes such as the heatwave lingering over coming days.

“Stay indoors and avoid outdoor activities,” he told AAP.

Climate health studies such as the one completed by Dr Tong and his colleagues could help inform public health management, he recommended, and tailored for different age groups.

Older Canberrans aged 60 or more were most at risk of ending up in emergency departments from extreme cold, though heatwaves were still a danger for the age group.

Children and adolescents were more likely to suffer a health scare on hot days, reflecting more time spent outside and doing activities.

Adults aged between 20 and 60 were more likely to struggle on moderately hot days, suggesting the age group were better at managing the really extreme temperatures.

“During the wintertime, we need to look after our elderly people,” Dr Tong said.

“I also want to emphasise, during climate change, nobody can escape, and the work of reducing carbon emissions is key.”