Extreme heat poses a growing risk to people across West Yorkshire as hotter, more frequent and longer heatwaves increase exposure outdoors and in homes, workplaces, schools, hospitals and care settings. Heat can cause dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, worsen cardiovascular, respiratory and other long-term health conditions, and increase illness and premature deaths. Risk is greatest for older people, young children, pregnant people, people with underlying conditions, low-income households and outdoor workers, and is amplified in densely built-up areas by the urban heat-island effect and buildings that overheat.

This risk covers the effects on people in West Yorkshire from extreme weather other than heat, particularly river and surface-water flooding, storms and high winds, drought, wildfire and severe cold. These events can cause injury and loss of life, worsen physical and mental health, damage or displace people from homes, and disrupt transport, power, communications, water supplies and access to health and other essential services. Impacts can continue long after an event through damp and mould, financial loss, anxiety and post-traumatic stress, with greater consequences for vulnerable and disadvantaged communities.

This risk covers how climate change could worsen air quality across West Yorkshire and harm health. Hotter, drier and more stagnant conditions can increase ground-level ozone, particulate pollution, dust and wildfire smoke, while changing pollen and fungal-spore seasons and increasing the risk of thunderstorm asthma; damp conditions may also promote indoor mould. These exposures can trigger or worsen asthma and other respiratory and cardiovascular illness, with the greatest effects on children, older people, pregnant people, those with existing health conditions and communities already exposed to higher pollution.

This risk covers how warmer temperatures, changing rainfall and more frequent flooding could alter infectious-disease patterns in West Yorkshire. Climate change may extend the seasons and ranges of ticks, mosquitoes and other disease vectors, increasing exposure to established infections such as Lyme disease and enabling emerging diseases to become a greater UK threat. Warmer conditions and flood-related contamination can also increase some food-borne and water-borne illnesses, placing additional pressure on surveillance, public health and healthcare services, with greater impacts on vulnerable people and communities.

This risk covers how climate change could affect the safety and nutritional quality of food consumed in West Yorkshire. Higher temperatures can allow food-borne bacteria to grow more readily and increase contamination risks during production, transport, storage and preparation, while flooding and drought can introduce pathogens, chemicals and natural toxins into food and water. Extreme weather may also disrupt supplies, reduce the availability and affordability of fresh, nutritious food and worsen unhealthy diets, with the greatest impacts on children, older people, those with health conditions and low-income households.

This risk covers how climate hazards could disrupt the delivery of health and social care across West Yorkshire. Heatwaves can overheat hospitals, GP practices, care homes and people receiving care at home, affecting patients, medicines, equipment and staff, while river and surface-water flooding, storms and other extreme weather can damage facilities or prevent access. Disruption to transport, power, water, communications, digital systems and medical supply chains can delay treatment and reduce continuity of care at the same time that demand rises, with the greatest consequences for people with complex needs and communities already facing health inequalities.

This risk covers overheating inside buildings and excessive heat in neighbourhoods across West Yorkshire as summers become hotter and heatwaves more frequent. Exposure is shaped by building design and condition (including ventilation, insulation, glazing, shading and cooling) and by the surrounding built environment, where dense development, heat-absorbing materials and limited trees or green space can intensify the urban heat-island effect. Homes, flats, workplaces and community buildings may become uncomfortable or unsafe, with disproportionate impacts on older people, young children, people with poor health or disabilities, and residents of low-income or deprived neighbourhoods.

This risk covers damage and disruption to buildings and communities across West Yorkshire from river, surface-water, groundwater and wastewater flooding. More intense rainfall can overwhelm urban drainage and cause rapid flash flooding, while prolonged rainfall can saturate catchments, raise river and groundwater levels, and produce deeper or more frequent flooding in existing risk areas. Impacts include damage to homes, businesses and community facilities, displacement, loss of possessions, interruption to services and transport, financial costs and long-term health and wellbeing effects, with greater consequences for people in flood-prone, low-income or otherwise vulnerable communities.

This risk covers climate-related damage and disruption to buildings and communities across West Yorkshire from hazards other than heat and flooding. Storms, high winds and wind-driven rain can damage roofs, walls, windows and trees, allow water to penetrate buildings and interrupt local services, while hotter, drier summers can dry and shrink susceptible soils, causing subsidence and structural movement. Drought can also increase wildfire risk around moorland, woodland and the rural–urban fringe, threatening property and communities through fire, smoke, evacuation and access disruption, with older, poorly maintained buildings and vulnerable communities often less able to prepare and recover.

This risk covers how climate change could worsen conditions inside homes, workplaces and community buildings across West Yorkshire, particularly indoor air quality, damp and mould. Heavier rainfall and flooding can leave buildings persistently damp, while higher humidity and inadequate ventilation can promote mould growth; hotter weather may also change ventilation and window-opening behaviour, allowing outdoor pollution, pollen or wildfire smoke to enter and indoor pollutants to accumulate. Poor-quality or poorly maintained housing is especially vulnerable, with consequences including respiratory illness, allergies, discomfort and reduced wellbeing, particularly for children, older people and those with existing health conditions.

This risk covers climate-related damage and change to West Yorkshire’s historic buildings, monuments, archaeology, parks and distinctive urban and rural landscapes. Heavier rainfall, river and surface-water flooding, storms and persistent moisture can accelerate decay, erosion, damp and structural damage, while hotter, drier summers can cause ground movement, dry out historic materials and increase wildfire risk on moorland and other sensitive landscapes. Changes to soils, vegetation, habitats and land management may also alter valued landscape character and expose or destroy buried archaeology, affecting local identity, tourism and community wellbeing; some losses may be irreversible.

This risk covers how climate hazards could affect facilities delivering public services across West Yorkshire, excluding health and social care settings. Schools, colleges, prisons, courts, libraries, community centres and other public buildings may overheat, flood or be damaged by storms, making them unsafe, uncomfortable or temporarily unusable. Disruption to transport, power, water, communications and supply chains can cause closures or reduce service quality; in schools, excessive heat can impair pupils’ wellbeing, concentration and learning, while impacts across all facilities may fall most heavily on children, people in custody and communities that rely strongly on local public services.

This risk covers how climate change could stretch local resilience planning and the ability of emergency services to prepare for, respond to and recover from incidents across West Yorkshire. More frequent or severe heatwaves, river and surface-water flooding, storms, drought and wildfires can increase calls for assistance, evacuations and multi-agency coordination, particularly when events occur together or in quick succession. Flooded or overheated stations, blocked transport routes, power or communications failures, staff exposure and simultaneous demand across several districts can delay response and reduce capacity, with the greatest consequences for vulnerable communities and locations that are difficult to reach.

This risk covers how a warmer climate could change household energy use and costs across West Yorkshire. Milder winters may reduce heating demand, but hotter summers and more frequent heatwaves will increase the need for fans, cooling and potentially air conditioning, especially in flats and homes that overheat. Higher summer electricity demand could raise bills, create new peak loads and increase exposure to power disruption during hot weather; access to effective cooling will be unequal, leaving low-income households, renters, older people and those with health conditions at greater risk where they cannot afford equipment, energy costs or improvements such as shading and ventilation.

This risk covers climate-driven damage to West Yorkshire’s terrestrial ecosystems, including moorland, peatland, woodland, grassland, wetlands and urban green spaces. Rising temperatures, drier summers, drought, intense rainfall and wildfire can degrade and fragment habitats, alter the timing and distribution of species, disrupt food webs and favour some pests, diseases or invasive species. Upland blanket bogs and dry heath are particularly vulnerable to drying and fire, while already degraded or isolated habitats may be unable to recover or allow species to move, reducing biodiversity and weakening benefits such as carbon storage, water regulation, soil protection, pollination and access to nature.

This risk covers climate-driven damage to West Yorkshire’s rivers, streams, lakes, ponds and wetlands. Hotter, drier summers and drought can reduce river flows, raise water temperatures and lower oxygen levels, while heavier rainfall and flooding can wash sediment, nutrients and pollutants into water and physically damage habitats. These changes can worsen water quality, disrupt ecological processes and favour invasive species, pests and diseases, placing cold-water species such as brown trout and other freshwater wildlife under increasing pressure. Existing pollution, water abstraction, modified channels and fragmented habitats can compound impacts, reducing biodiversity and weakening benefits including clean water, flood regulation, recreation and the ability of freshwater ecosystems to adapt and recover.

This risk covers climate-driven damage to West Yorkshire’s soils across farmland, peatland, woodland, grassland and urban green spaces. Heavier and more intense rainfall can increase runoff, waterlogging and erosion, washing away fertile topsoil and mobilising sediment, nutrients and pollutants into rivers, while hotter, drier summers and drought can dry, crack and destabilise soils and reduce their biological activity. These pressures can alter soil structure, moisture and nutrient cycling, harm soil organisms and accelerate the degradation of upland peat and other already vulnerable soils. Existing pressures from intensive land use, compaction, drainage, pollution and development can compound impacts, weakening agricultural productivity, carbon storage, water regulation, biodiversity and the ability of soils to recover from extreme weather.

This risk covers climate-driven damage to West Yorkshire’s natural carbon stores in peatlands, soils, woodlands, wetlands and other habitats, and their ability to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Hotter, drier summers and drought can dry peat and soils, increase decomposition and reduce plant growth, while heat, pests, diseases and wildfire can damage vegetation and release stored carbon. Heavier rainfall and flooding can erode peat and carbon-rich soils, wash organic matter into rivers and hinder woodland and habitat recovery. Existing pressures from drainage, land-use change, overgrazing, pollution and habitat degradation can compound these impacts, potentially turning important carbon sinks into sources and weakening biodiversity, water regulation and progress towards regional net-zero goals.

This risk covers how climate change could affect farming across West Yorkshire, including livestock, arable and horticultural production. Hotter, drier summers and drought can reduce grass, forage and crop yields, limit water supplies and increase heat stress for livestock and outdoor workers, while intense rainfall and flooding can waterlog fields, erode soils, damage crops and farm infrastructure, and delay planting, harvesting and access. Warmer conditions may also alter growing seasons and increase some pests, weeds and diseases, while extreme and unseasonal weather can make production increasingly variable. Impacts will differ between farm types and locations, but may raise costs, reduce productivity and income, affect animal welfare and place additional pressure on tenant farmers, smaller businesses and farms already managing poor soils, steep land or limited water availability.

This risk is most relevant to West Yorkshire through its rivers, reservoirs, angling waters and any inland aquaculture. Hotter, drier summers and drought can reduce flows, raise water temperatures and lower oxygen levels, placing cold-water fish such as trout under stress and affecting survival, growth and reproduction. Intense rainfall and flooding can damage habitats and fishery infrastructure, disturb spawning grounds and wash sediment, nutrients and pollutants into water, while warmer conditions may encourage harmful algal blooms, parasites, diseases and invasive species. Existing pressures from pollution, water abstraction, barriers to fish movement and degraded habitats can compound impacts, reducing fish populations, recreational angling and associated livelihoods, and making aquaculture production less reliable and more costly to manage.

This risk covers how climate change could affect forests and woodlands across West Yorkshire, including commercial forestry, community woodlands and trees in the wider landscape. Hotter, drier summers and drought can slow growth, weaken or kill trees and increase wildfire risk, while heavier rainfall and waterlogging can damage roots, soils and access tracks; storms and high winds can cause windthrow and widespread physical damage. Warmer conditions may also allow pests, diseases and invasive species to spread or become more damaging, particularly where woodlands rely on a limited range of species or ages. These pressures can reduce timber production and income, increase management and recovery costs, and weaken carbon storage, biodiversity, flood and soil regulation, landscape character and opportunities for recreation and wellbeing.

This risk covers how climate change could affect the availability, affordability, safety and nutritional quality of food for people across West Yorkshire. Heat, drought, flooding, storms and soil degradation can reduce UK agricultural production and disrupt processing, storage and transport, while climate impacts overseas can affect imports of fruit, vegetables, grains and other foods on which the UK relies. Repeated or simultaneous shocks may cause shortages, reduce choice, increase waste and raise prices for households, schools, hospitals, care services and food businesses. Impacts are likely to be greatest for low-income households and communities already experiencing food insecurity, who have less ability to absorb price rises or switch products, potentially worsening poor diets and health inequalities. Dependence on complex supply chains and limited local production can compound regional vulnerability.

This risk covers how disruption to one infrastructure system could trigger cascading failures across other essential services in West Yorkshire. Electricity, digital communications, transport, water and wastewater, fuel and waste systems are closely connected: for example, a power outage can disable mobile networks, pumps, traffic signals and rail equipment, while flooded or blocked roads can prevent repairs, fuel deliveries and access to treatment sites. Heatwaves, flooding, storms and wildfire may affect several networks at the same time or in quick succession, overwhelming backup arrangements and extending recovery. Consequences can spread beyond the original location, disrupting homes, businesses, healthcare, emergency response and public services across several districts. Ageing assets, shared sites, limited redundancy and incomplete coordination between operators can compound impacts, with the greatest effects on vulnerable communities and services that cannot tolerate prolonged interruption.

This risk covers how climate hazards could affect electricity generation serving West Yorkshire, including generation within the region and the wider national system on which it depends. High temperatures can reduce the efficiency and output of thermal power stations, solar panels and other equipment, while drought and low river flows can constrain cooling-water availability and hydropower. Flooding, storms, high winds and wildfire can damage generation sites, access routes and supporting infrastructure or force temporary shutdowns. Climate change may also alter the timing and reliability of wind, solar and water resources, increasing periods when renewable output is unusually high or low. These pressures could reduce available capacity or raise operating costs at the same time that demand peaks during heatwaves, increasing reliance on storage, flexible generation and electricity imported from elsewhere.

This risk covers how climate hazards could affect the electricity transmission and distribution networks serving West Yorkshire. River and surface-water flooding can inundate substations, underground cables and control equipment, while storms, high winds, lightning, falling trees and debris can damage overhead lines and towers. High temperatures can reduce the capacity and efficiency of cables, transformers and other equipment, increase faults and accelerate deterioration, while drought and wildfire may threaten exposed assets and vegetation can create additional hazards. Damage to roads, communications and supply chains can also delay access and repairs. Network failures may interrupt power to homes, businesses, transport, digital systems, water services and health and social care, with the greatest consequences where outages are widespread or prolonged and for people who rely on electricity for essential medical equipment, heating or cooling.

This risk covers how climate hazards could disrupt the supply of gas, petrol, diesel, biofuels and emerging fuels such as hydrogen to West Yorkshire. River and surface-water flooding can damage or restrict access to pipelines, storage depots, filling stations and other facilities, while high temperatures can reduce equipment operating capacity and increase safety and maintenance pressures. Drought and wildfire may threaten exposed assets, and storms, landslides or flooding can disrupt road and rail tanker deliveries and wider national supply routes. Fuel systems also depend on electricity, communications and transport networks, so failures in these services can cause cascading disruption. Shortages or delays could affect heating, freight, public transport, emergency services, backup generators and businesses, with risks changing as fossil-fuel infrastructure declines and new low-carbon fuel supply chains develop.

This risk covers how climate hazards could damage and disrupt road transport across West Yorkshire, including motorways, local roads, bridges, bus routes, walking and cycling networks. More intense rainfall and river or surface-water flooding can overwhelm drainage, close routes, erode foundations and damage bridges, while saturated or dried soils can increase landslides, embankment failure and subsidence, particularly on steep Pennine routes. High temperatures can soften road surfaces, expand structures and overheat vehicles and passengers, while storms, high winds, fallen trees, snow and wildfire can create further hazards and closures. Disruption can delay commuting, freight, public transport and emergency response, isolate communities and restrict access to healthcare, schools and other services. Ageing assets, constrained maintenance budgets and limited alternative routes can increase the duration and wider consequences of failures.

This risk covers how climate hazards could damage and disrupt rail transport across West Yorkshire, including tracks, stations, signalling, power supplies, bridges, tunnels and earthworks. High temperatures can buckle rails, overheat equipment and trains, cause overhead lines to sag and require speed restrictions, while intense rainfall and river or surface-water flooding can inundate tracks and stations, overwhelm drainage and damage electrical systems. Saturated or drought-affected slopes can increase landslips, subsidence and embankment failure, and storms, high winds and fallen trees can block lines or damage overhead equipment. Disruption can cause delays and cancellations for passengers and freight, reduce access to employment and services and place pressure on roads and buses. Ageing assets, constrained diversionary routes and dependence on electricity and communications can increase the scale and duration of impacts.

This risk is most directly relevant to West Yorkshire through Leeds Bradford Airport and the region’s dependence on maritime ports elsewhere in the UK for goods, fuel and international supply chains. High temperatures can soften runway surfaces, reduce aircraft performance and overheat terminals, equipment, staff and passengers, while intense rainfall and surface-water flooding can disrupt runways, access roads, drainage and airport operations. Storms, high winds, lightning, snow and poor visibility can cause delays, diversions and cancellations. At ports and along shipping routes, storms, flooding, sea-level rise and coastal erosion can damage infrastructure and interrupt vessel movements, cargo handling and onward transport. Disruption can affect passenger travel, tourism, freight and time-sensitive supplies, with impacts compounded where roads, railways, electricity or communications fail at the same time.

This risk covers how climate hazards could disrupt digital and communications systems across West Yorkshire, including broadband, mobile networks, data centres, telephone exchanges, fibre cables and emergency communications. High temperatures can overheat data centres, cabinets, masts and network equipment, increase cooling demand and reduce performance, while river and surface-water flooding can damage low-lying sites, underground cables and power supplies. Storms, high winds, lightning, falling trees and wildfire can damage overhead lines and masts or restrict access for repairs. These systems depend heavily on reliable electricity and cooling, so power or water failures can cause cascading outages. Loss of connectivity could interrupt emergency response, healthcare, transport control, remote working, banking, public services and business operations, with greater impacts on isolated communities, vulnerable people and organisations without resilient backup systems.

This risk covers how climate change could affect water supply and wastewater services across West Yorkshire. Hotter, drier summers and drought can reduce reservoir, river and groundwater resources at the same time that demand rises, increasing the risk of restrictions and pressure on supplies for households, businesses, farming and essential services. High temperatures and low flows can worsen raw-water quality and increase treatment needs, while intense rainfall and river or surface-water flooding can overwhelm combined sewers, pumping stations and treatment works, causing sewer flooding, spills and pollution of rivers and neighbourhoods. Floods, ground movement and wildfire can also damage assets or restrict access for repairs. Services depend on electricity, chemicals, communications and transport, so wider infrastructure failures can compound disruption, with the greatest consequences for vulnerable people, healthcare and communities already exposed to flooding or water poverty.

This risk covers how climate hazards could disrupt waste collection, recycling, treatment and disposal across West Yorkshire, including transfer stations, material-recovery facilities, energy-from-waste plants, landfill sites and former industrial or mining sites. Intense rainfall and river or surface-water flooding can inundate facilities, damage equipment, restrict collection routes and mobilise waste, leachate and other pollutants into surrounding land and water. Prolonged wet conditions can destabilise landfill slopes, spoil heaps and made ground, while hotter, drier weather can increase fire, dust, odour and worker heat risks at waste sites. Storms and flooding may also delay collections and create additional debris when capacity is already constrained. Dependence on roads, electricity, fuel and communications means wider infrastructure failures can compound disruption, potentially causing waste accumulation, environmental contamination, public-health risks and higher operating and clean-up costs.

This risk covers climate-related damage to the premises, equipment, stock and other physical assets of West Yorkshire businesses, as well as assets they own or depend on elsewhere in the UK and overseas. River and surface-water flooding can inundate offices, shops, factories, warehouses and industrial estates, damage machinery and inventory and prevent access, while heatwaves can overheat buildings, equipment and cold-storage systems and reduce operating capacity. Storms, high winds, wildfire, subsidence and water shortages can create further damage and downtime. Impacts may include repair and replacement costs, lost production and sales, higher energy and insurance costs, reduced asset values and difficulty obtaining affordable cover or finance. Smaller firms, tenants, businesses in flood-prone locations and those with limited cash reserves, backup sites or adaptation capacity may find recovery particularly difficult.

This risk covers how climate change could disrupt the domestic and international supply chains and resource inputs on which West Yorkshire businesses depend. Flooding, heatwaves, drought, storms and wildfire can interrupt suppliers, farms, factories, warehouses, ports and transport routes in the UK and overseas, delaying materials, components, food, fuel and specialist equipment. Water scarcity and damage to energy or digital systems can also constrain production, while disruption concentrated in a small number of suppliers or climate-vulnerable regions may spread rapidly through complex just-in-time networks. Consequences can include shortages, longer lead times, higher input and transport costs, lost sales and production, and difficulty meeting contracts or maintaining essential services. Smaller firms and sectors reliant on imported, perishable or highly specialised inputs may be less able to diversify suppliers, hold extra stock or absorb price increases.

This risk covers how climate change could reduce the productivity, health and availability of workers across West Yorkshire. Heatwaves can cause fatigue, dehydration and heat illness, slow physical and cognitive performance and make some workplaces unsafe, particularly for people working outdoors, in transport, construction, manufacturing, warehousing, agriculture, health and social care or poorly ventilated buildings. Poor air quality, pollen, wildfire smoke, flooding and climate-sensitive illness can increase sickness absence, while extreme weather can prevent staff reaching work, disrupt childcare and caring arrangements or displace workers from their homes. Businesses may face lower output, staff shortages, higher health and safety and cooling costs, and changes to working hours or practices. Risks are likely to be greater for older workers, those with health conditions, low-paid or insecure workers and people with limited control over where and when they work.

This risk covers how physical climate impacts could affect banks, insurers, pension funds, investors and the wider financial system, with consequences for households and businesses across West Yorkshire. More frequent flooding, heatwaves, storms and other hazards can increase insurance claims, business failures and mortgage or loan losses, while reducing the value of exposed property, infrastructure and investments in the UK and overseas. Insurers may raise premiums, restrict cover or withdraw from high-risk locations, and lenders may tighten terms where future risks are uncertain or poorly assessed. Sudden repricing of assets or simultaneous losses across interconnected institutions could amplify financial instability and reduce investment. Locally, this may make homes and commercial premises harder to insure, finance or sell, constrain credit for smaller businesses and adaptation, and deepen inequalities in flood-prone or lower-income communities.

This risk covers how climate change could place growing pressure on national and local public finances, including the budgets of West Yorkshire’s councils and public bodies. More frequent flooding, heatwaves, storms and wildfire can increase spending on emergency response, temporary accommodation, health and social care, repairs to roads, schools and other assets, and support for affected households and businesses. Longer-term adaptation will require sustained investment in resilient infrastructure, buildings, drainage and natural systems, while disruption to economic activity, employment and property values may weaken tax and business-rate revenues. Repeated or simultaneous events can create unplanned costs, increase borrowing and divert funding from existing services and preventative investment. Areas with greater deprivation, ageing infrastructure or high exposure may face the greatest need but have the least financial capacity, potentially widening inequalities and increasing dependence on uncertain central-government support.

This risk covers how climate change could increase financial pressures on households across West Yorkshire. Flooding, storms, subsidence and other hazards can damage homes, vehicles and possessions, creating repair, temporary accommodation and replacement costs and potentially reducing property values. Insurance premiums and excesses may rise, or affordable cover may become harder to obtain in higher-risk locations. Climate disruption to agriculture, energy and supply chains can increase food, electricity, cooling and other essential costs, while illness, workplace heat or transport disruption may reduce earnings or employment. Households may also need to pay for measures such as flood protection, ventilation, shading or cooling. Impacts will be greatest for low-income households, renters, people with insecure work or existing debt, and those in poorly adapted or flood-prone homes, who have less savings and flexibility to absorb repeated shocks, potentially worsening poverty and inequality.