UK June heat record broken for third day in a row as ministers urged to act | Extreme heat

As June’s highest maximum temperature record is broken for the third day in a row, the UK government faces increasingly urgent calls for action to protect people against the intensifying effects of the climate crisis.

With the country in the grip of the worst heatwave ever recorded in Western Europe as a direct result of global warming, the chairman of parliament’s environment watchdog warned ministers of the immediate threat and said the UK was “falling far short of what is needed”.

Toby Perkins said a significant number of deaths were likely as a result of the current heatwave. Previous heat waves have killed thousands of people. It also warned of “devastating” impacts on hospitals, care homes and schools, as well as transport, water, food and IT systems.

perkins He asked for an answer from the Minister of EnvironmentEmma Reynolds on how the government plans to tackle overheating in buildings and her views on setting maximum workplace temperatures, air conditioning advice for vulnerable people and changing school schedules. Others warned of the danger children face in cooking classes and the loss of hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy.

The record for the highest maximum temperature in June was broken on three consecutive days this week; temporary temperature recorded at Santon Downham, Suffolk; Both records previously recorded on Friday broke Thursday’s peak of 36.7C at Merryfield, Somerset.

Perkins said: “Parts of the UK this week are facing extreme temperatures at levels once unthinkable. The effects of such extreme heat can be devastating and devastating. Economic productivity will take a hit, but more importantly we are likely to see significant numbers of deaths as a direct result of the current heatwave.”

He added: “The evidence that extreme heat is an urgent threat to the UK could not be clearer. But the government is now ‘far behind what is needed’, according to independent climate advisers.”

The Committee on Climate Change has warned for more than a decade that Britain’s plans to protect people from rapidly worsening extreme weather were inadequate. It is estimated that 92 percent of existing homes will overheat within about 20 years. In May, the CCC said the UK was “built for a climate that no longer exists” and needed urgent changes to survive global warming.

“There is a significant cost to action,” said Perkins, “but the cost of doing nothing is much, much greater.”

Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the National Heat Risk Commission, said: “This week’s extreme temperatures risk losing hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy through lower productivity and infrastructure failure. More importantly, it will cause hundreds of deaths across the country. This is not normal.”

He said the UK was not adequately prepared to deal with these extreme heat events. “It is time for us to address this growing threat with the urgency it needs and make ourselves much more resilient to these extreme heat events.”

More than 1000 schools were closed due to the heat wave. Analysis by campaign group Global Witness found that the average temperature at 3pm on Tuesday was almost 33C (91.4F) in London and above 31C in the West Midlands, East Midlands, south-east, south-west and east of England. It was also revealed that more than 1,200 schools were in areas where the outdoor temperature exceeded 34C.

Flossie Boyd from Global Witness said: “It’s frightening to think of teachers and students trying to work and learn in swelteringly hot classrooms. This heatwave is a reminder of why we need climate change now to cool our schools and keep children safe.”

“It’s vital to invest in climate-friendly cooling measures, renewable energy sources that don’t warm our planet, and shade for our playgrounds. These measures should be financed by taxing the fossil fuel pollutants that are causing this extreme heat crisis.”

Hospitals in England have declared critical cases as medical equipment and IT failed in the heat and sleep-deprived staff worked in sweltering wards. The heatwave has also caused an increase in A&E admissions and numbers of people, causing severe overcrowding in some places.

Climate minister Katie White told MPs on Wednesday: “If anyone still thinks climate change is a problem for tomorrow, they should get out today. We are improving transport, industry and, in many cases, infrastructure designed for a different century and a different economy.”

In response to the letter from Perkins, a government spokesman said: “We are working across government to carefully consider the latest recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change. [from May] It’s about climate adaptation.”

The spokesman said the government was already taking action by investing in clean energy, ensuring new homes are designed to minimize unwanted heat and launching an adaptation advice service for local authorities.

The national adaptation program published in 2023 was described as “very weak” by experts.

“If we are to avoid the worst impacts of a changing climate, it is imperative that the next iteration, planned for 2028, truly be a step in change,” said Perkins.