Love 40 degrees? Climate change, extreme heat and the Australian Open

Commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, this report examines the impact that climate change and extreme heat are having on the Australian Open.

Bringing together sports, health and climate research, Love 40 Degrees? Climate change, extreme heat and the Australian Open found that Australian tennis is already experiencing the impact of climate change with smoke from bushfires and extreme heat driven by climate change increasing health risks for players and the likelihood of match disruptions.

The report also found that under current greenhouse gas emissions scenarios, the number of extreme heat days in Melbourne during January is expected to increase significantly over the next 40–60 years, while November and March will be comparable to recent Januarys.

As reported in the Huffington Post, the report recommends a series of adaptation actions should be considered to protect participants from the worsening impacts of extreme heat, including extending the length of the Australian Open or moving the event to November or March.

The ABC's coverage of the report's release can be seen below.