Sir, – In the warm-up to the current heatwave (pun intended), The Irish Times, as well as other Irish media outlets, has constantly used idyllic imagery to accompany headlines such as “Heat dome could emerge over Europe as Met Éireann forecasts temperatures of up to 25 degrees” (June 20th). Images of people sunbathing, swimming, melting ice creams or people playing on the beach are almost always used when the Irish media cover heat.The reality, however, is that heat kills. Across the world, people are desperately trying to escape the rising temperatures. Yet in Ireland we seem content to treat this as a holiday season rather than what it really is: one of many symptoms of the escalating climate crisis.We have no published national plan on how to deal with current heatwaves or the more extreme temperatures of the future. How will hospitals, nursing homes and schools keep cool? What about our homes? Where are people supposed to go if their homes become too hot?The media must stop framing extreme heat as a leisure opportunity and connect the dots between the climate crisis and worsening heatwaves.It’s time to get our heads out of the sand and treat heat as the public health crisis it is, both in Ireland and around the world. – Yours, etc, OLA LØKKEN NORDRUM,South Lotts Road, Dublin.Sir, – I was just thinking back to our holidays in the Costas many years ago. Most of the fun was coming home with a glorious tan the like of which you’d never get in Ireland.Sure you’d only love showing the tan lines off and making sure everyone in the parish knew you had been away. You’d love regaling everyone with stories of the endless sunshine where you could wander around wearing next to nothing.But now those simple pleasures are gone because we have the same sun here this week. It’s like Spain at home, so it is. – Yours, etc,BERNIE KIRWAN,Gorey,Co Wexford.Sir, – As the heat descends, think of putting out a dish of fresh water for the birds. Do the same for the hedgehogs in the evenings. – Yours, etc,EVE PARNELL,Harcourt Street,Dublin 2.Sir, – What a fright these last few mornings to see a huge yellow ball in the sky. – Yours, etc,TOM GILSENAN,Beaumont,Dublin 9.