Photo courtesy of Sean Robertson

Toronto’s Heat Health Alert System

Proactive adaptation can help save lives now and prepare for future
climate change
The City of Toronto has developed and implemented two extreme weather alert systems:
Extreme-Cold Weather Alerts (in 1996), and Heat Health Alerts (in 2001). These systems are
designed to protect the city’s most vulnerable populations – the elderly, children, medically
at-risk persons, and the homeless – from extremes of heat and cold. The Heat Health Alert
System was developed proactively, in part as a response to the disastrous heat waves in
Chicago (1995) and Philadelphia (1993), both of which killed hundreds of urban residents.

Environment Canada projects that by the latter part of

this century, Toronto will average 65 days per year where P o p u l at i o n s at r i s k f r o m e x t r e m e h e at
the temperature exceeds 30°C, more than four times the
The health risks increase substantially when people
historic average between 1961 and 1990. This represents
experience prolonged exposure to heat without significant
a critical concern that will disproportionately impact
cooling intervals. Socially isolated seniors are at highest
the health and wellbeing of the city’s more vulnerable
risk of heat-related illness and death. Other at-risk groups
populations.
include children, people with chronic and pre-existing
Toronto has had a heat warning system since 1999. The illnesses including mental illness, low-income households,
first heat warning system used a threshold of a one-day and adults who are marginally housed or homeless.
forecast of humidex over 40°C. Since 2001, Toronto Public
Health has adopted the Heat Health Alert System as the
basis for declaring alerts. This system is based on a synoptic the likelihood of excess weather-related mortality exceeds
approach that assesses the historical relationship between 90 percent.
mortality levels and weather conditions.
At the beginning of the summer, the City of Toronto and
Toronto’s Heat Health Alert System includes a three-day its partners provide the public with targeted information
forecast outlook. This synoptic-based approach starts with on the risks of extreme heat and on precautions to
an air mass categorization for each forecast day based on prevent heat-related illness and death. Various brochures
weather conditions (temperature, humidex, dew point, wind are distributed and are available on the City’s Web site.
speed and direction, air pressure and cloud cover). Then an Declaration of an alert by Toronto’s Medical Officer of
algorithm is run to predict the likelihood of excess mortality Health activates specific responses under the City of
under these air mass conditions; it is this likelihood that Toronto Hot Weather Response Plan, which includes
determines whether the Heat Health Alert System forecasts
an Extreme Heat Alert, a Heat Alert or neither. • contacting local media to inform the public that a
heat alert has been issued
The Toronto Medical Officer of Health issues a “Heat Alert” • notifying community agencies and other response
when the likelihood of excess weather-related mortality partners of the alert status, in order for them to
exceeds 65 percent and an “Extreme Heat Alert” when implement agency specific protocols

22 — Adapting to Clim ate Change

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• operating, through the Canadian Red Cross, a heat

information line from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. for those in need H e at v u l n e r a b i l i t y m a p p i n g to o l
of assistance or with heat-related inquiries
Toronto Public Health (TPH) is developing a mapping tool to
• distributing bottled water through the Canadian Red
visualize human vulnerability to extreme heat. The maps will
Cross, targeting vulnerable people and providing water
incorporate numerous indicators of vulnerability, including
to agencies that work with vulnerable groups
surface temperatures, green space coverage, housing and
• distributing Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) tokens
social characteristics of at-risk populations, access to air
through selected drop-in centres to the homeless so
conditioning, and the location of cool places. Due to be
they can reach cooling centres
completed in 2011, the tool will help TPH and community
• opening seven designated cooling centres (one open for
partners identify and prioritize geographic hot spots for
24 hours) at public locations, such as community centres
delivering resources during a heat alert. The City of Toronto
and civic centres, during an Extreme Heat Alert
also plans to use the tool for long-term climate adaptation
Toronto Public Health (TPH) conducts an annual review of planning.
the City’s hot weather response. Recent changes to the
plan include an increase in the number of cooling centres
and an increase in the number of transit tokens distributed Toronto’s Hot Weather Response Plan has increased awareness
to people in need of transportation to a cool place. TPH of problems related to extreme heat, contributed to the
also received funding from NRCan in 2010 to develop a development of new programs and measures to combat
map-based decision support tool for public health staff the urban heat island effect, and helped facilitate the
and community partners to improve the delivery of health- partnering of various City departments, non-governmental
protective services to the most vulnerable populations organizations and other local groups. The City is now
during extreme heat events. developing a Climate Change Risk Assessment process
and electronic tool to be used in a variety of City Divisions.
In addition to the Heat Health Alert System, the City has The process will include consideration of many extreme
implemented various programs that include measures weather indicators, including extreme heat. The results
aimed at reducing the effects of heat waves by implementing of the risk assessment will enable staff to prioritize climate
tools aimed at cooling the city over the long term. These change risks and prepare appropriate adaptive actions.
programs include a Green Roof Bylaw, the Toronto Green
Standard, an Eco-Roof Incentive Program, Doubling the
Tree Canopy Initiative, and ”Greening” Surface Parking Contact:
Lot guidelines. Many of these actions will help reduce Elaine Pacheco
the urban heat island effect, which occurs in urban areas Manager, Healthy Environments
Toronto Public Health
where dark surfaces such as asphalt and roofing absorb Tel.: 416-338-8047
the sun’s energy and radiate it out, thereby further E-mail: [email protected]
warming the local ambient air.
Stephanie Gower
Research Consultant
Environmental Protection Office
Toronto Public Health
P h oto co u r t e s y o f S t e fa n P o w e l l

Tel.: 416-338-8101
E-mail: [email protected]

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