Kent's fields are unrecognisable, looking more like a Texas ranch than Britain's green and pleasant land after weeks without meaningful rain. A young dairy herd crossed the scorched pasture near Ashford yesterday as the relentless hot weather turned once-lush fields into a dusty landscape.
Drought and Heatwaves Across England
Swathes of England are in drought following prolonged dry weather and three heatwaves. Water firms say demand has soared by 30% on the hottest days of the year, while more than 20 million households are already living under hosepipe bans in parts of England and Wales.
The boiling heat has led Brits to take "drastic action" by sleeping in the kitchen, missing work, or booking hotels to cope with heatwaves.
Citizens Advice Research
Research by Citizens Advice found millions of people "trapped in homes they can't cool" with half saying they cannot stop their houses overheating. It is demanding Government action on "soaring heat in summer and unaffordable energy bills in winter". Action taken by those struggling to cope included sleeping in the kitchen, garden, or on a balcony, taking sick days or paying for hotels.
The study also found 90,000 people with communal heating were unable to turn it off even in summer.
Official Response
Citizens Advice chief executive Clare Moriarty said: "For far too many people, a summer heatwave means being trapped in a sweltering home with no control over the temperature. The Government has a vital opportunity to help fix this through the Warm Homes Plan. By investing in better insulation, ventilation, and heat network upgrades, we can ensure people's homes are warmer in the winter and safer and cooler in the summer."
Heat-Related Deaths
Last month experts estimated 2,700 people died from heat-related causes during May and June's record hot spells. Researchers from Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) estimated that there were 2,700 excess deaths in England and Wales over the two heatwaves.
They found that climate change significantly drove up the death toll, as more than two fifths (42%) died as a result of the extra heat caused by human activity – mostly burning fossil fuels.
Record Temperatures
The study examined the periods around the record-breaking heatwaves of May, when temperatures peaked at 35.1C, and June, which hit new highs for the month of above 37C, accompanied by high humidity. The analysis used weather data, climate models and heat-related deaths research to estimate the number of people who died in the heatwaves, and compare it to how many lives would have been lost in a climate that had not been warmed by human activities.
