Exposure of older people to heatwaves in Europe (1980-2021), Apr 2023

This metadata refer to the dataset presenting the annual change in heatwave exposure of people over 65, expressed as the deviation in annual person-days of heatwave exposure relative to the 1986-2005 baseline.

Heat exposure poses acute health risks, particularly to older people (ie, people older than 65 years), people with underlying, chronic respiratory, kidney, or heart disease, people living in urban areas, and people with little means to access cooling mechanisms. These heat-related health risks are of particular relevance to Europe, as the continent is experiencing ageing populations, urbanisation, and a high prevalence of chronic diseases.