![]() ![]() That people are dying of heat or cold in Britain in 2022 is frankly a national disgrace.” Prof Hannah Cloke, of the University of Reading, said: “We should remember that heat is most dangerous when it is persistent over several days, especially for those who cannot escape it or gain respite at night-time. We urgently need to overhaul UK infrastructure to keep us cool and healthy in a rapidly warming world.” “In 2020, in the UK alone more than 2,500 people died because of hot days, and those were less hot and less frequent than what we are already seeing this year.”ĭr Michael Byrne, of the University of St Andrews, said: “Extreme heat is a severe threat to public health that – as pointed out by the UK Climate Change Committee only last year – the UK is woefully underprepared to deal with. “Heatwaves are by far the deadliest extremes in Europe,” said Otto. “If you have vulnerable family, friends and neighbours, make sure they are aware of how they can keep themselves protected from the warm weather.” Measures include closing curtains to keep rooms cool, avoiding physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day, and carrying water if you are travelling. “It is important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible when UV rays are strongest, between 11am and 3pm,” said Dr Agostinho Sousa, of the UKHSA. The UK Health Security Agency issued a level 3 alert on Friday for the south and east of England and a level 2 alert for the south-west, Midlands, north-west and Yorkshire and the Humber regions, which are in place until Friday. Heatstroke and dehydration are the main risks to health and particularly affect young children and elderly people. Europe as a whole has just experienced its second warmest June on record, at about 1.6C above average, with extreme temperatures recorded from Spain to France to Italy.Įuropean annual temperatures have been rising since the 1970s - 2020 was the warmest calendar year on record What are the dangers? The Portuguese government declared an eight-day state of alert on Friday due to a high risk of wildfires. ![]() Scorching temperatures above 40C will continue in western continental Europe. “It’s certainly not out of the question,” said Shuttleworth. There is also a chance that the all-time UK record could be beaten – that is the 38.7C recorded in Cambridge University Botanic Garden in July 2019. In the UK, there is a strong chance of the hottest day of the year so far occurring this week, surpassing the 32.7C recorded at Heathrow on 17 June. “Every heatwave we experience today has been made hotter because of the fossil fuels we have burned over the last decades in particular.” How hot will it get? “When it comes to summer heat, climate change is a complete gamechanger and has already turned what would once have been called exceptional heat into very frequent summer conditions,” said Dr Friederike Otto, of Imperial College London. Scientists are clear that human-caused global heating is making every heatwave more intense and more likely. Long July days and short nights mean strong sunshine builds up high temperatures, with night-time lows potentially being above 20C in central England and affecting sleep. “At the end of the week, temperatures will be close to 40C (104F) to 45C across France and Spain and when we get a southerly wind, the UK will then tap into some of that heat,” said Shuttleworth. The UK will cool a little in the middle of the week, says Annie Shuttleworth at the Met Office, as cooler air pushes down from the north, although southern England will still have temperatures in the high 20s.Īfter this, winds are expected to turn southerly, bringing hot air up from north Africa and the Sahara. A high pressure system called the Azores High, which usually sits off Spain, has grown larger and pushed farther north, bringing high temperatures to the UK, France and the Iberian peninsula. ![]()
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