A conference on extreme heat scheduled for London Climate Action Week was cancelled because of extreme heat. The event, titled 'Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world,' was due to take place at LSE’s Shaw Library in central London on Wednesday. However, as temperatures reached record-breaking highs and the Met Office issued a rare red heat warning—only the second in history—university bosses pulled the talk.
'We regret that this event has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office,' a notice on the LSE website stated. The event was set to include the announcement of the first-ever winner of the Adeline Stuart-Watt Award for outstanding research contributions to climate adaptation, followed by a session on improving extreme heat governance and a fireside chat on key challenges and opportunities.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
The UK is facing its second record-breaking heatwave of the year. Temperatures reached 35.7°C in Charlwood, Surrey, on Wednesday, smashing the previous record of 35.6°C set in 1976. The red weather warning came into force across parts of southern England and Wales at 9 am and will remain until 9 pm on Thursday. The Met Office warned: 'An exceptional spell of hot and humid weather is expected across this region, with impacts to the general population highly likely.'
An amber warning is also in place across a wider area, reaching as far north as Merseyside, with additional amber warnings in the southeast and east of England and the East Midlands until 9 pm on Saturday.
Widespread Disruption
More than 1,000 schools have closed completely or sent pupils home early due to the heat. Network Rail has urged people to avoid travel where possible. Even Greggs branches have closed 'to protect our customers and colleagues during the severe hot weather,' with shops expected to reopen on Friday when temperatures dip slightly but remain above 30°C in parts of the country.
The late May Bank Holiday saw the record for the hottest May day smashed twice consecutively. Experts warn that this pattern of regular heatwaves could become the norm due to climate change. Jim Dale told Metro that the UK is in danger of 'boiling over' as extreme heat becomes commonplace. 'Yes, from time to time, in the past 50 or 100 years, we have had heatwaves. However, the top 10 global and UK temperatures have nearly all come in the last 20 years. The dots are very clear, and they make a picture; one of records falling left, right and centre,' he said.
