Record heatwave must be ‘wake-up call’ for Britain to prepare for Mediterranean climate, experts warn

The record-breaking heatwave sweeping through the UK should act as a “wake-up call” for Britain to urgently prepare for a Mediterranean climate, experts have warned; Experts have warned that such extreme temperatures could happen “again and again”.

Hundreds of schools have been forced to close and three NHS trusts declared critical incidents this week; June temperature records were broken for three days in a row, with the mercury rising to 37.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Friday.

Extreme heat warnings were extended overnight into Sunday across much of the country, and more than 800 flights were delayed at London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports as the heatwave turned into a storm.

The deadly heat dome is now moving eastwards towards mainland Europe, where temperatures have soared above 40°C, with records breaking in Denmark and Slovakia; And roads in Germany are collapsing under the stress as temperatures reach a temporary record of 41.5°C. Hundreds of people are believed to have been killed. While approximately 327 deaths in Spain are thought to be caused by extreme heat, at least 55 people died in France.

Emma Howden Boyd, chair of the independent National Heat Risk Commission (NHRC), said stifling temperatures were not a one-off, warning: “This is something we will see happen again and again.”

He said the heatwave should “absolutely” act as a “wake-up call” for Britain to upgrade its infrastructure to withstand higher temperatures, alongside work to tackle carbon emissions.

“Some argue we should focus less on achieving net zero and more on adapting to climate change,” he said.

“But adaptation without mitigation is like salvaging a boat while drilling more holes in the hull. We must do both.”

The NHRC, based at the Grantham Institute for Research on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, was established earlier this year following the heatwave of July 2022, when temperatures in Britain exceeded 40C for the first time in recorded history.

Nearly 3,000 Britons died from heat-related causes that summer as tracks softened, rails buckled and hospital IT systems shut down amid sweltering heat.

Ms Howden Boyd said national improvements to counter high temperatures and flash floods that often follow heatwaves must now be “at the top of the agenda”, alongside reducing carbon emissions.

“We either have a chance to build that resilience or we have a chance to lock in future vulnerability,” he said Independent.

Urging Britons to start considering measures to make their homes more heat-resistant, such as installing shutters or planting trees nearby, he added: “We need to start thinking about our climate becoming a Mediterranean climate.”

As thermometers reached 30°C in parts of Britain on Saturday, more than 400 flights arriving at or departing from Heathrow were delayed and a further 400 flights into or out of Gatwick were delayed, according to tracker FlightAware.

Meanwhile, police said the body of a 22-year-old man was pulled from the river after it was reported that he was having difficulty in the heat wave. West Mercia Police said the body of Brody Leach was found in the River Severn in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, on Saturday morning. Following the search for Mr. Leach, who entered the river on Friday and later found himself in a difficult situation, the area where the riverside searches were carried out was reopened.

Elsewhere, officers searching for a missing 15-year-old boy last seen in the water at Testwood Lakes near Southampton have now found a body, Hampshire Police said. In a statement, the police said, “The child’s family has been informed and official identification has been made. His family is supported by specially trained police officers.”

Two deaths brought the number of people who died in the water during the June heatwave to three, after a 50-year-old man was pronounced dead on Wednesday afternoon at Aberavon beach off the south coast of Wales after experiencing difficulty swimming in the sea.

Depending on the region, summer months could be between 1°C and 6°C warmer and up to 60 per cent drier by 2070, according to the Met Office. Spanish clouds that bring warm conditions can become denser, causing even hotter temperatures and heavier downpours during summer storms.

The Green Alliance, a London-based think tank, said high temperatures were the reality of climate change and people were paying the price after a heatwave in July 2022 killed more people than road deaths that year.

Policy director Holly Brazier Tope said: “We built and planned our homes and communities for a UK that wasn’t this hot, and now people are paying the price for it.

“Schools are closing early, NHS appointments are being cancelled, trains are being delayed. This is the reality of climate change on our doorstep and successive governments have left people facing it unprotected. Without urgent action, 92 per cent of existing homes could overheat by mid-century and heat-related deaths could rise to 10,000 a year.”

He added: “This is not a threat to the future. It is here, now, and is the result of inaction. This government must respond quickly with a systemic, nationwide response that delivers smarter planning, community resilience, protection now and net zero for the future.”

Gareth Redmond-King, international leader of the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said targeting net zero emissions was the only way to stop climate change and “stop things getting hotter and more dangerous”.

“But we too need to adapt – the health and lives of the most vulnerable in our society, in nurseries, schools, hospitals and care homes, are being put at risk as these dangerous excesses worsen,” he said. Independent.

“Someone in their fifties today could see temperature rises halted, working with other countries to reach net zero by 2050, so that extreme temperatures do not rise further into the 40Cs in their retirement.

“In short, this week’s weather should serve as a wake-up call to net zero for all of us. The sooner we get there, the less likely we are to hit tipping points like the collapse of the Amazon rainforest.”

A government spokesman said: “We are working across government to carefully consider the latest recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change on climate adaptation.

“We are already taking action to help protect people, livelihoods and our natural environment by investing in clean energy, ensuring new residential buildings are designed to minimize unwanted heat from the sun and launching the Local Government Climate Service, which gives local authorities easy access to tailored information to support adaptation planning.

“During this week’s extreme heat, people should pay attention to the latest warnings and guidance issued by the UKHSA for their area.”