The United Kingdom is experiencing a severe heatwave, with temperatures reaching 34.6C in Wisley, Surrey, on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. The extreme heat has caused widespread disruption to schools, hospitals, transport networks, and water companies, prompting warnings from the UN chief that London is 'cooking'.
Record-Breaking Temperatures Expected
South-east England is forecast to hit 38C on Wednesday and 39C on Thursday, which would shatter the previous June record of 35.6C set in 1957 and matched in 1976. These temperatures approach the all-time UK record of 40.3C, reached in July 2022. The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday, while a red heat health alert indicates 'a risk to life for even the healthy population'.
Infrastructure Under Strain
The extreme heat has exposed the UK's vulnerability, with warnings that infrastructure was 'built for a climate that no longer exists'. Coping measures include reduced rail speeds and services, cancelled hospital patient appointments, school closures across southern England and Wales, and hosepipe bans in south-east England. South East Water introduced a hosepipe ban as demand surged, while other water companies urged reduced usage.
Rail services across Britain were disrupted, with operators urging passengers to travel 'only if absolutely necessary'. Trains reduced speeds to exert less force on tracks at risk of buckling. Some hospitals in England cancelled patient appointments due to high demand for emergency care, with warnings the situation could worsen.
Hundreds of schools in southern England and Wales are expected to close or reduce hours, with many ending the day early to avoid the worst heat. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: 'Our Victorian school buildings have become greenhouses. The government must step up. We need urgent, massive capital investment to retrofit our ageing school estates with proper ventilation, shading and climate-resilient cooling infrastructure.'
Climate Change Link
Much of western Europe is sweltering under an area of high pressure, with temperatures pushed abnormally high by carbon pollution. A rapid analysis by ClimaMeter on Monday found that climate breakdown has added 2C to 4C to the current heatwave. France experienced its hottest night on record Monday, followed by its hottest day Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 44.3C. Officials reported 40 drowning deaths as people sought to escape the heat. In Spain, one in eight weather stations recorded temperatures above 40C on Monday, with highs of 44C expected Tuesday; Spain's weather agency Aemet warned of 'extraordinary danger'.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking at London Climate Action Week on Tuesday, said: 'Here in London, the city of Dickens, it is clear our world is facing a tale of two crises: a climate crisis pushing us deeper toward higher temperature and closer to catastrophic tipping points, and an energy crisis exposing the folly of a world hooked on hydrocarbons.'
Health Risks and Adaptation
The combination of high heat and humidity has alarmed doctors, who advise drinking water, staying in shade, and checking on vulnerable neighbours. Hot weather kills tens of thousands of Europeans each year, particularly the elderly or those with underlying health conditions, as it pushes organs into overdrive and hinders recovery.
Emma Holmberg, an extreme temperature researcher at the University of Bern, said: 'Human-induced climate change made this heatwave exceptional. Already in June we are seeing dangerous levels of heat, which places severe stress both on infrastructure and individuals. This is especially prominent for the members of our community who are particularly vulnerable to heat, such as the elderly or those with underlying health conditions.'
Retail data suggests people are adapting, with sales of electric fans more than doubling compared with the previous four weeks, and predictions that sales of ice, ice-cream and ice lollies would rise by about half.
Future Projections
The heatwave follows an extreme spring heatwave in late May that shattered the UK's monthly temperature record by 2C. The Met Office issued projections for the 2050s, showing a potential 14-day heatwave with temperatures over 40C for nine consecutive days, peaking at 45C in England, 38C in Scotland, 41C in Wales, and 30C in Northern Ireland.
Greenpeace UK called for legal protections for those most exposed to extreme heat. Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said: 'Ministers are still acting as if extreme heat were an occasional seasonal quirk, when it is fast becoming a regular and serious public health risk. When classrooms become ovens, care homes overheat, transport starts to buckle and workers are forced to toil in dangerous temperatures, it's clear the country isn't ready.'
Last month, the UK's Climate Change Committee warned: 'The UK was built for a climate that no longer exists today and will be increasingly distant in years to come.' It recommended new buildings be 'designed to keep people cool from the outset' with passive cooling measures, increased air conditioning, and maximum temperature rules for workplaces.
Stefán Smith, professor of energy systems and the built environment at the University of Reading, said: 'Air conditioning will be part of the solution, but when used at scale in a city causes extra local warming, further widening the gap between the air conditioning haves and have-nots. This points to a clear need for better long-term solutions. Building design and urban planning must adapt to hotter conditions.'
