The government has been warned to prepare for summer temperatures consistently reaching 40C unless urgent action is taken to protect the UK from the escalating impacts of climate change. The Climate Change Committee (CCC), a key government advisor, has called on ministers to invest in cooling mechanisms such as air conditioning, heat pumps, and green shading across key public services like schools and hospitals, as well as committing to a maximum workplace temperature to protect workers.
Widespread Overheating and Flood Risks
The CCC warned that the UK is already facing disruption from the climate crisis, which is expected to worsen by 2050. According to the committee, 92 per cent of homes are set to overheat, peak river flows are expected to be 45 per cent higher, and water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day. These worsening extremes of heat, flooding, and drought are threatening the British way of life, from lives and livelihoods to the NHS, “gently changing seasons”, children’s football games, music festivals, and weekend visits to National Trust venues.
Health Impacts and Excess Deaths
Without action to help people adapt, the increasing risk of heatwaves reaching the 40Cs by mid-century could lead to as many as 10,000 excess deaths a year, the committee said. The CCC recommended that the government design and support transport, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure that can operate safely through the crisis. Investments in flood defences, sustainable water storage, and water-efficient new build homes were also recommended.
Investment Costs and Public-Private Funding
Investments to support the committee’s proposals are expected to cost around £11 billion a year, split between public and private funding. Last year saw record-breaking temperatures, according to the Met Office.
Call for Action and Hope
Baroness Brown, chair of the adaptation committee, said that the UK is not powerless in the face of the increasing pressures of the climate crisis. “Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate,” she said. “But we are not powerless. In an increasingly unstable world, being well adapted to climate change is fundamental to securing our food, energy and economic security. This report carries a message of hope. The solutions already exist, and proven technologies are available now to help the UK adapt effectively. With the right decisions and actions, we can protect the people and the places we love.”
She added: “We can protect patients and residents in overheated hospitals and care homes, children in nurseries and schools, and communities facing repeated flooding. We can support our farmers to maintain our food supplies. We can keep sports pitches usable, high streets open for business, and iconic British music festivals running safely. The public want to see change and the government now has an opportunity to step up and protect our way of life.”
It comes after the UK marked its warmest and sunniest year on record in 2025 with a mean temperature of 10.09C. The Met Office attributed the rising temperature to human-induced climate change and warned the UK would see more record-breaking temperatures in the future.
