It comes as the UK is set for a fourth heatwave this summer
There are hundreds of ‘high heat’ neighbourhoods across the North West of England(Image: Friends of the Earth)
The areas in Greater Manchester that are most at risk from ‘dangerous’ heatwaves have been revealed by an environmental charity.
Friends of the Earth have identified 4,715 ‘high heat’ neighbourhoods across England based on heatwave data from 2022 when temperatures topped 40C. More than 4,500 deaths that year were linked to heat – the highest number over the last 35 years.
It comes as the UK is set for a fourth heatwave this summer with temperatures expected to reach 34C in parts of the country.
Health authorities have issued a yellow heat health alert covering six English regions. The North West of England is not affected.
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In Greater Manchester, temperatures are expected to reach highs of 31C on Tuesday (August 12), according to the Met Office.
New analysis by Friends of the Earth has found that there are nearly 500 ‘high heat’ neighbourhoods across the North West.
This includes most of the neighbourhoods within the M60 ring road as well as parts of Wigan, Oldham, Tameside and Stockport.
High heat neighbourhoods with ‘enhanced risks’, indicated by the darker orange(Image: Friends of the Earth)
Researchers from the charity also identified nearly 2,000 neighbourhoods that face ‘enhanced risks’ of health impacts from heat.
These risks are linked to physical characteristics of an area, such as little green space and lots of flats, more physical risk, such as having an older population and health issues, and a ‘low ability’ to respond to rising temperatures, for example due to low income.
In total, 253 ‘high heat’ neighbourhoods in the North West of England were found to have ‘enhanced risks’ of health impacts from heat.
This includes the city of Manchester and central parts of Salford as well as the towns of Bolton, Bury, Oldham and Ashton-under-Lyne.
The researchers also revealed that within the nearly 500 ‘high heat’ neighbourhoods across the North West, there are 937 care homes and nursing homes – including 69 in Manchester, 65 in Stockport, and 31 in Tameside – as well as 107 hospitals and 954 nurseries.
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Friends of the Earth campaigner Denis Fernando, said: “Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more extreme as climate change gathers pace.
“The UK has been hit by thousands of heat-related deaths over recent years, and this could rise to over 10,000 a year by 2050, according to government advisors.
“Extreme heat affects us all – but some communities and people are affected harder than others, including older people, young children, people with health issues and hospital patients.
“The government must act now and urgently overhaul its weak climate adaptation plans to protect communities, especially those most at risk, from increasingly severe weather events such as heatwaves, floods and storms – as well as doing more to cut the emissions that are fuelling the crisis.”