00:00It's a top of 28 today in Hobart and the sun is beating down.
00:07A severe heatwave was declared for broad parts of Tasmania this week, but is it really that
00:12hot?
00:13In my 20s I wouldn't classify it as hot, no it's nice.
00:1625 is pretty amazing and pretty lovely, above 30 is getting a bit hot.
00:21It's hot, I don't know if it's a heatwave.
00:24A heatwave in the high 20s might sound unusual to mainlanders, but it's based on the concept
00:29of excess heat factor.
00:31We have heatwaves under relatively mild temperatures in Tasmania because people feel the heat differently
00:37in different parts of the country.
00:39It's been driven by persistent northeasterly winds, bringing humid conditions.
00:44And that humidity, while people are probably feeling that feels very muggy, it also keeps
00:48the minimum temperatures up overnight.
00:50And it's true, the UV rating is typically stronger in Tasmania.
00:55It's at a dangerous level for the entire time between September and April, and at an
01:00extreme level this weekend.
01:02It's quite surprising that in Tasmania we actually have higher melanoma rates than most
01:08of the country, besides Queensland.
01:10When combined with an older population, more people with underlying health conditions and
01:14poorer access to health care, hotter conditions than normal can be dangerous.
01:19And a study last year found that Tasmanian suburbs lack tree coverage, that the planning
01:24scheme is insufficient to adapt communities to heat, and that the places where most Tasmanians
01:29live are heating the fastest.
01:32There's also no requirements for cooling in rental properties.
01:35So with heatwaves to become more common in a warming climate, there's a growing need
01:40to adapt now, before it's too late.
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