Objectives To establish a health risk index and response system of high temperature or heat wave, so as to provide a scientific basis for Shenzhen to predict and reasonably cope with the health risks caused by high-temperature or heat wave weather.

Methods Historical data on air pollutants, meteorology, population and death, as well as hospital outpatient and emergency data in Shenzhen were collected. A health risk early-warning model of high temperature or heat wave was established, and an early warning system was designed and developed to identify risk assessment indicators on the basis of historical data. And health risk index of high temperature or heat wave was officially released to the public in Shenzhen in summer 2017 (from June to September) according to the content and the basis for judgment, and the correlation between the early warning signal and the outpatient, emergency and inpatient cases in pilot hospitals during the same period was compared.

Results The susceptibility to morbidity caused by high-temperature or heat wave was expressed as "health risk index of high-temperature and heat wave", and the health risk index grade I to IV of Shenzhen was established according to the incidence risk of the disease (indicated by the percentage, indicating the probability of the disease occurrence, i.e. the possibility of occurrence). There was a statistically significant difference in the number of outpatient and emergency visits of children with respiratory diseases between grade Ⅱ early warning and level 0.

Conclusions The early warning system signal was issued in a timely manner and the operation status was good. The health risk index of high-temperature heat wave and its response system played an important role in predicting and responding reasonably dealing with the health risks caused by high-temperature or heat wave weather to the residents.