Hume residents, who statistically live in lower income households, are disproportionately affected by the heat, new research has revealed.
The Victorian Council of Social Services released new research on Tuesday, February 13, detailing the correlation between disadvantage and urban heat.
It found that households earning up to $7799 per year live in an area 0.6 degrees celsius hotter on average than households earning more than $156,000 per year.
The study compared the urban heat island (UHI) effect, which is caused by urban surfaces absorbing and retaining heat, urban structures trapping heat, urban areas reducing wind flow, and human activity generating heat, to Socio-economic Disadvantage.
The UHI effect experienced in Hume was 9.23 degrees celsius, which was the eighth highest of the 27 ‘city’ LGAs in Melbourne.
Nearby Brimbank residents fared the worst, with a scorching 10.75 degrees celsius. Melton LGA wasn’t far behind with 10.7 degrees celsius.
The report said “extreme heat can have a direct illness impact, causing heat exhaustion and heat stroke, disrupting medication, and exacerbating existing health conditions.
“Extreme heat can also result in death in severe cases- the January 2009 heatwave in Victoria contributed to 374 excess deaths.”
The report said policymakers can use the findings to help target interventions at areas where households have high heat vulnerability.
Zoe Moffatt
