Weather study shows risk to elderly

Google via UK Press Association: Areas likely to be home to large proportions of old people in the coming decades could be among those most at risk from extreme weather such as heatwaves and floods, research has suggested.

Researchers have mapped which parts of the country are likely to see an increase in severe weather as a result of climate change, alongside projections for where England's ageing population will be living in the 2030s.

The study led by Durham University and Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, published in the journal Applied Geography, warns that many areas projected to see an increase in extreme weather events may also need to care for a high proportion of over-65s as England's population lives longer.

Many rural or semi-rural parts of England are likely to see rapid growth in elderly residents and will have to plan for how they are going to provide the services older people need in the face of a changing climate. Coastal areas, which will be at a higher risk of flooding by the 2050s, are likely to have among the greatest proportion of older people....