Climate security

Experts Warn 40°C Summer Temperatures Could Be Common in UK Sooner Than We Thought

A stark warning about the kind of summer that could become routine in the UK by the end of this century has been issued in a new study by the country's Met Office.

Using temperature data and climate model simulations, the researchers tested the likelihood of UK temperatures exceeding 30°C, 35°C, and 40°C (86 F, 95 F and 104 F) each summer over the next 80 years.

They found that if global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, temperatures exceeding 40°C could be reached somewhere in the UK every three-and-a-half years by 2100.

If you live or have travelled in a hot climate, you might know the stifling heat that envelops your body when the thermometer breaks 40°C. But there is a difference between experiencing that kind of heat from a pool or through the window of an air conditioned hotel room, and living in that heat for several days without reprieve.

In England alone, 2,000 people every year already die from heat related illnesses.

While traditionally warmer climes have adapted over time to soaring summer temperatures, the UK is not prepared to handle these kinds of heatwaves.