Policy context

Extreme heat poses significant risks to the health of children and young people. Young children are especially vulnerable due to their smaller body size, higher metabolic rate, and reliance on adults for hydration and cooling.¹ ² Prolonged exposure to hot conditions increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke, while also exacerbating chronic conditions such as asthma. Research shows that heatwaves associate to higher rates of hospital admissions and emergency department visits for children and young people,³ particularly for respiratory and circulatory conditions. Monitoring local temperature extremes is therefore essential to guide health services, schools, and communities in developing adaptation and protection strategies.

Conversely, Australia may evoke images of sunny summers, but cold extremes, particularly in southern states and inland regions, pose real health risks for children. Frigid indoor environments are linked to wintertime illness and increased mortality even in temperate climates like Australia.⁴ In fact, extreme cold is the second most common weather-related cause of death in Australia, after heat; hypothermia can occur at surprisingly mild exposures (air temperature below 10 °C) and children are especially vulnerable.⁵ Cold snaps also exacerbate respiratory conditions—coughs, asthma flares, and even heart and lung issues spike during winter, and asthma hospitalisations for children regularly peak in late autumn and early winter.⁶