The UK has broken its highest maximum temperature record for June for the third consecutive day, with a provisional 37.1°C recorded in Cavendish, Suffolk, on Friday, up from 36.9°C in Wattisham, Suffolk, earlier that day and 36.7°C in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday. The country is experiencing the worst heatwave ever recorded in western Europe, a direct result of global heating.
MPs and Experts Call for Urgent Action
Toby Perkins, chair of parliament’s environmental audit committee, warned ministers of the urgent threat and said the UK was falling “far short of what is needed”. He said a significant number of deaths were likely as a result of the current heatwave, noting that previous heatwaves have killed thousands. He also warned of “devastating” effects on hospitals, care homes, schools, transport, water, food and IT systems.
Perkins demanded answers from the environment secretary, Emma Reynolds, on how the government planned to tackle overheating in buildings, establish maximum workplace temperatures, prescribe air conditioning for vulnerable people, and change school timetables. Others have warned of danger to children in baking classrooms and losses of hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy.
Climate Change Committee Warnings
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has warned for more than a decade that the UK’s plans to protect people from rapidly worsening extreme weather are inadequate. It estimates that 92% 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 heating.
Perkins said: “Taking action carries a significant cost. But the cost of doing nothing is far, far greater.”
Economic and Health Impacts
Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the National Heat Risk Commission, said: “This week’s extreme temperatures risk losses to the economy of hundreds of millions of pounds due to lower productivity and infrastructure failures. More concerningly, it will cause the deaths of hundreds of people across the country. This is not normal.” She said the UK was poorly prepared and needed to become more resilient.
More than a thousand schools have been closed due to the heatwave. Analysis by Global Witness found that the average temperature at 3pm on Tuesday was almost 33°C in London and more than 31°C in the West Midlands, East Midlands, southeast, south-west and east of England. Over 1,200 schools were in areas where outdoor temperatures breached 34°C.
Flossie Boyd of Global Witness said: “It’s frightening to think of teachers and pupils trying to work and learn in swelteringly hot classrooms. This heatwave is a reminder of why we need climate adaptation now – to cool down our schools, and keep children safe.”
Hospitals and Government Response
Hospitals in England have declared critical incidents as medical equipment and IT fail in the heat, and sleep-deprived staff work on sweltering wards. The heatwave has caused a surge in admissions and people arriving at A&E, leading to severe overcrowding.
Climate minister Katie White told MPs: “If anyone still thinks that climate change is a problem for tomorrow, they should step outside today. We are upgrading transport, upgrading industry and upgrading infrastructure that in many cases was designed for a different century and a different economy.”
In response to Perkins’ letter, a government spokesperson said: “We are working across government to carefully consider the Climate Change Committee’s latest recommendations [from May] in relation to climate adaptation.” The spokesperson said the government was already investing in clean power, ensuring new homes minimise unwanted heat, and launching an adaptation advice service for local authorities.
The national adaptation programme published in 2023 was described by experts as “very weak”. Perkins said: “It is imperative that the next iteration – due in 2028 – truly is a step change if we are to avoid the worst of the impacts from a changing climate.”
