Just days after a blistering June heatwave shattered temperature records across the UK, meteorologists are warning that another warm front could arrive over the weekend and into next week. The previous heatwave saw temperatures hit 37°C in cities like London and Paris, amplified by urban infrastructure that traps heat. Over 1,300 excess deaths were linked to the hot spell across Europe, and at least seven people drowned in UK open waters. Temperatures in the UK even surpassed those in Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth.
Experts Call for Adaptation and Mitigation
Jim Dale, founder of British Weather Services, told Metro that while heatwaves have always occurred, climate change is exacerbating them. '35C becomes 37C, and 37C becomes 40C – that’s what we have had with these plumes,' he said. He emphasized that adaptation efforts must focus on big cities, where heat is felt most intensely, and on educating all sections of society, as rising temperatures signal 'the end of the world as we know it.'
Recommended measures include painting houses white to reflect heat, expanding ultra-low emission zones (ULEZ) to reduce fossil fuel pollution, and increasing green canopy coverage for natural cooling. However, Dale warned that air conditioning and AI-driven renewable solutions can be a 'catch-22' if powered by fossil fuels, as they may release more emissions.
Climate Change Targets and Tipping Points
The global fight against climate change focuses on the 1.5°C target to limit average greenhouse gas effects. But Dale cautioned that the dangerous 2°C tipping point is no longer a dystopian fantasy. Driven by ongoing fossil fuel use, warming seas, and melting glaciers, it could be reached before the predicted 2050, bringing more deaths, floods, droughts, and food shortages.
Met Office scientists say the UK regularly reaching 45°C is a plausible scenario. Professor Stephen Belcher, the Met Office’s chief scientist, stated that extreme heat events like the latest June heatwave have become more intense and likely due to 'human induced climate change.' He added, 'To see temperatures like this in the UK in June is sobering. Events like this bring home the implications of climate change, with very high temperatures and humidity bringing significant health implications from heat stress, as well as impacts to transport, energy, and water supply.'
London’s Heat Emergency Plan
London Mayor Sadiq Khan recently unveiled the city’s first heat emergency plan, inspired by how the US desert city of Phoenix copes with extreme heat. The plan aims to protect vulnerable residents and critical infrastructure during heatwaves.
Forecast: Another Heatwave Possible This Weekend
After a brief respite with temperatures below 25°C even in London and the South East, the Met Office forecasts a turn to warmer weather from Wednesday. A high-pressure area from the Azores could settle over the UK and western Europe this weekend and early next week. Early modelling suggests temperatures in London and surrounding areas could reach 30°C by Tuesday.
However, the areas most desperate for rainfall in the south will remain dry, risking drought and possible extension of the hosepipe ban in Kent, which is currently in place until Friday and carries fines of up to £1,000 for violations.
Heatwaves Becoming the New Normal
Dale stressed that these heatwaves are not 'a one-off' and are becoming more frequent and intense. 'We are not a tropical climate, but we are vying with desert worlds, so you know there’s something not right,' he said.
