The UK's summers are getting hotter - but how prepared are we?
BBC News 2026-06-23 23:46:03
Context: The UK is experiencing a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching 37C in parts of south-east England. This heatwave follows unprecedented heat in May, and scientists warn that even hotter temperatures are likely in the years ahead due to climate change. The UK government and experts are raising concerns about the country's preparedness for more extreme heat.
Key Facts
- The UK is facing a record-breaking heatwave, with temperatures potentially reaching 37C in parts of south-east England, smashing the previous June high.
- Between 2015 and 2024, the number of days exceeding 30C in the UK more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, according to the Met Office.
- The maximum temperature recorded each year has shot up, with reaching 35C being a rare event throughout the 20th Century, but six out of the past ten years have passed that mark.
- If global warming continues at its current pace, temperatures in the mid-forties could be a serious possibility for the UK by 2050, according to Met Office projections.
- The UK's Climate Change Committee has criticised the "woeful" performance of successive governments in getting the UK ready for more extreme heat, warning that over 90% of existing homes could overheat during more extreme heatwaves by the middle of the century.