Spare a thought for the mother with hot, irritable children in tow, trying to get to the other side of the road.
Typically timed to the pace of “a six-foot man”, the crossing window disappears quickly for those with mobility issues or negotiating prams and toddlers.
“It’s just time,” Committee for Sydney policy manager Estelle Grech says.
“If you increase it, we can give a little bit more dignity in crossing the road,” she told the Sweltering Cities Gender & Heat Community Symposium on Friday.
Ms Grech said design shortfalls that disproportionately burden women and other under-served groups are exacerbated by extreme heat.
“It makes it so much harder than it should be,” she said.
As global temperatures trend higher, heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent, long and severe.
They are already the deadliest natural disaster in the country and those numbers are expected to climb, with the national climate risk assessment projecting a 444 per cent increase for heat-related deaths in Sydney under 3C of warming.
Western Sydney is the epicentre of the heat problem, with summer temperatures approaching 50C on occasion and suburbs largely under-served in terms of cooling green spaces, sheltered bus stops and comfortable homes.
Social researcher Rebecca Huntley says Australians often underestimate how hot parts of the country can get and the poor insulation of the housing stock.
“There’s so much more we can do in that area,” the director of research at 89 Degrees East said.
Dr Huntley shared her own experience living in a very poorly insulated rental for a short period, with no air-conditioning and fans running constantly.
“And then I got the $1500 energy bill for three months.”
She was able to buy a better-performing home before long but the experience gave her insight into the struggles of having little choice but to stay in a poorer-performing home.
In her research, Dr Huntley has observed worsening pressures of extreme heat, especially for those rearing children.
Cancelled weekend sports and challenges getting to school safely were some common concerns.
Caring professions, dominated by women, also face risks from extreme heat.
A hot, humid day puts a stop to outdoor activities for workers in aged care and child care, disrupting routines.
Extreme heat has also been found to complicate existing health conditions in the community, including mental health issues, which puts an extra burden on nurses and doctors.
Additionally, essential workers are often not paid enough to afford to live near their places of work.
As a result, they can be subject to long walks to bus stops in beating sun that can zap them of energy for the workday.
Sweltering Cities executive director Emma Bacon said women from Sydney, especially the Western suburbs, had consistently reached out with concerns about rising temperatures and climate change.
“The impacts are in their homes,” she told AAP.
“They’re in their bodies, in terms of their health.
“They’re worried about their family members and their communities.”
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