The UK could experience temperatures exceeding 40°C every three years by the end of the century if global greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced, the Met Office has warned.
Britain's first 40°C temperature was recorded on July 19, 2022.
With the country's infrastructure and buildings designed for a milder climate, scientists describe the UK as “dangerously unprepared” for such extreme heat events.
Unless the UK commits to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, temperatures exceeding 40°C could become a recurring feature every three years by 2100, according to the Met Office.
With the escalating impacts of climate change and the relentless rise in global temperatures, extreme heat has emerged as a 'silent killer'.
The toll of the 2022 heatwave was devastating, with an estimated 3,500 people succumbing to the extreme temperatures.
Barcelona's Institute for Global Health led a study quantifying the fatalities and highlighting the dire consequences of increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves.
The blistering summer conditions also sparked some of the most destructive grass fires England has ever witnessed.
The London Fire Brigade received more calls on one day than on any other since the Second World War, with dozens of homes razed in the capital.
Out of the 46 fire services across the UK, 11 declared major incidents.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that if we continue on our current path of greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, agriculture, waste, and industry, the chances of similar or more severe heat events will increase dramatically.
The UK's preparedness for extreme heat
Scientists from the University of Oxford have warned of the immense challenges ahead, particularly the need for large-scale adaptation like introducing ceiling fans, better ventilation, and shaded protection.
Yet, according to Dr Radhika Khosla, these vital adaptation efforts barely feature in the UK Government's planning. The UK's net zero strategy, she said, barely mentions sustainable cooling.
Dr Khosla said: “Without adequate interventions to promote sustainable cooling we are likely to see a sharp increase in the use of energy-guzzling systems like air conditioning, which could further increase emissions and lock us into a vicious cycle of burning fossil fuels to make us feel cooler while making the world outside hotter.”
A lack of clarity in the British Government over who is responsible for the UK's preparedness for extreme heat further complicates the situation, said Dr Candice Howarth of the London School of Economics' Grantham Institute. She said: “This is a new risk to the UK, it's an invisible risk. You can almost see it as a silent killer”.
She emphasises the need to be ready for the crisis instead of merely responding afterwards.
Preparation includes retrofitting buildings and fostering cultural and behavioural changes, such as promoting better hydration, avoiding direct sunlight, and improving home ventilation.
The unseen risks
Unlike the visible devastation caused by floods or storms, extreme heat is a stealthy danger. It does not leave an overt trail of destruction, but its effects on people are devastating, particularly those who are elderly, very young, or suffering from respiratory or cardiovascular illnesses.
As Oli Claydon of the Met Office pointed out: “We're already experiencing the impacts of climate change now, so there's already a need to adapt to the types of weather extremes that we can see in the UK.”
The European heatwave: A harbinger of a warming world
Europe, the world's fastest-warming continent, is grappling with the continuing heatwave, as temperatures in Italy's Sicily and Sardinia are predicted to reach 48°C.
The escalating temperatures are fanning wildfires near Athens, leading to evacuations and challenging emergency services.
World Meteorological Organization Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said the current heatwave “underlines the increasing urgency of cutting greenhouse gas emissions as quickly and as deeply as possible”.
June 2023 was declared the world's hottest June on record, and July is poised to break more records.
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A building destroyed by a wildfire in Mandra, north-west of Athens. Bloomberg -
A helicopter sprays water to douse a fire in Dervenochoria, Greece. AFP -
People try to escape the heat by swimming at Poetto beach in Sardinia, Italy. Bloomberg -
A fireman tries to control a wildfire in New Peramos, near Athens, Greece. AFP -
A man cools off at a fountain near the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. Reuters -
A resident inspects his home, which was completely destroyed by fire in Dervenochoria. EPA -
Lemurs try to reach iced fruit at the Rome Zoo in Italy. AFP -
Firefighters and volunteers work to extinguish a burning field during a wildfire in Saronida, south of Athens. Bloomberg -
Burnt trees after a wildfire in Kouvaras, near Athens. Reuters -
A woman covers herself with a scarf in Avignon, southern France. AFP -
A boy cools down at the Barcaccia fountain in Rome. AFP -
People play in the shore of the Aguilar de Campoo reservoir in Spain. AFP -
An umbrella provides shade during a heatwave in Rome. The Italian Health Ministry has put out a red alert. EPA -
Cooling off in a fountain in St Peter's square, Vatican City. AFP -
Swanning about in the sun is child's play, near Messina in Sicily. AFP -
The Tijarafe wildfire advances on the Canary Island of La Palma, Spain. Reuters -
Tourists are hot to trot in a horse-drawn carriage in Seville, Spain. AFP -
A tree provides shelter from the sun in Thessaloniki, Greece, where a four-day heatwave has led to temperatures of up to 44°C. EPA -
A father and daughter are shrouded by mist from a public fountain in Bucharest, Romania. AP
The heatwave is not limited to Europe. Parts of Asia and North America are also experiencing record temperatures.
In China, temperatures reached 52.2ºC in the Xinjiang region, a new high for mid-July.
The US, particularly California and Arizona, is also suffering under intense heat, with Death Valley reaching a near-record 52ºC.
