WELLINGTON, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government launched Monday a brand new Heat Health Plan Guidelines for the ongoing summer which is predicted to be one of the hottest, local media reported.
"Climate change is a big threat to our society, and we need to plan for anticipated weather like hotter days now," Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter said with temperatures high around the country.
"Although it is great to enjoy the outdoors, getting too hot is a serious risk that will happen more in our future. Our health will be impacted by climate change, and we need to ensure we are all ready," Genter said in a statement.
The number of days where temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius is expected to increase between 40 and 100 percent by 2040 and between 40 and 300 percent by 2090, she added.
Extreme heat can be especially concerning for infants, pregnant women, older people, those with pre-existing medical conditions, and those with disabilities, Genter said, adding that every year there were elderly New Zealanders who die due to heat issues and this is projected to increase.
She warned that climate change does not just affect people's health, it also has an impact on people's productivity at work, the primary industries and the economy, saying the new plan guidelines will raise awareness to deal with the impact of extreme temperatures.
