The UK is facing a silent killer, with thousands of heatwave-related deaths projected to rise to 10,000 a year by 2050 without swift action. Between 4,500 and 5,500 people lost their lives due to heatwaves in 2022, with the most vulnerable populations, including those over 65 and those with pre-existing health conditions, being disproportionately affected. Heatwaves, as the Environmental Audit Committee’s report highlights, pose a significant threat to public health, often pushing up heart rates and blood pressure, and exacerbating mental health issues.
The report also underscores the economic implications of heatwaves, with hot nights resulting in poor sleep and lost productivity estimated to cost the economy £60 billion annually. Moreover, temperatures in the UK have been reaching record highs, with 2022’s 40-degree Celsius mark being a first and 2023 being the hottest year on record globally.
Scientists are clear that climate change is exponentially increasing the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves, making it imperative for the UK to develop a comprehensive plan to mitigate their effects. The report recommends a range of measures, from green spaces and fans in homes to window shutters and white-painted roofs to reflect the sun’s heat. Currently, nearly 5 million homes in England are prone to summer overheating, necessitating a vast scale of action.
Philip Dunne, the chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, “The record temperatures we are seeing, triggered by climate change, pose significant risks to health and wellbeing, and swift action must now be taken to adapt to the UK’s changing climate.” The committee’s report was overwhelmingly critical of the government’s existing climate adaptation plan, deeming it “very weak” and lacking sufficient urgency or ambition.
Nature-based solutions, such as parks, trees, and green roofs, are proposed to cool communities, with evidence suggesting that large cities like London can be up to 8 degrees Celsius hotter than surrounding rural areas. Coating building roofs with highly reflective white paint, as seen in New York City, can substantially reduce indoor temperatures, while fitting external window shutters can cut the risk of heat-related deaths by about 40%.
UK Faces Rising Heatwave DeathsThe report also highlights the need for action to increase the energy efficiency of air conditioners, as widespread use of energy-intensive units could lead to a vicious circle of rising carbon emissions. Implementation of a national retrofit programme, delivered by local authorities and supported by long-term funding, is recommended to heat-proof homes, building on existing initiatives on insulation and energy efficiency.
The government’s failure to introduce measures to encourage low-cost retrofit finance for householders is also criticized, with a consultation on this issue conducted in 2020 yet to be addressed. Furthermore, the Met Office is urged to trial naming heatwaves to raise public awareness, as already done for storms, and including humidity levels in weather forecasts to better prepare the public for the dangers of humid heat.
Bob Ward, at the Grantham Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics, stresses that the report could have been more explicit in highlighting the dire state of Britain’s housing stock, which is responsible for thousands of heat-related deaths every year due to poorly designed and constructed homes. He calls for a nationwide retrofitting programme to make homes and offices more resilient to temperature extremes, considering it a national scandal that the government has failed to implement such a programme.