On 18 July, the highest temperature recorded in the UK passed 40°C for the first time, reaching 40.3°C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Following the heatwave, climate scientists calculated that the likelihood of observing such an event was “virtually impossible” without human-induced climate change.
“In the future, [these] kind of heatwaves are going to be normal,” commented Prof Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). “We have pumped so much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that the negative trend will continue for decades. I hope that this will be a wake-up call for governments and that it will have an impact on voting behaviours in democratic countries.”
More common and intense heatwaves are not the only impact the UK can expect in future, regardless of whether rapid action is taken to reduce emissions. Scientists also expect winters to be wetter, increasing flood risk, and storms to become stronger and more frequent.
According to the Environment Agency, by 2050 there is projected to be 59 per cent more winter rainfall in the UK, some rivers could have 50-80 per cent less water during summer, and summer temperatures could be up to 7.4 degrees hotter.
The UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), which advises the government on climate action, has recently concluded that the UK’s critical infrastructure – such as the energy grid, transport network, housing, water and food supply – are not being adequately prepared for these scenarios. New materials, technologies and other measures will be required to help the country adapt, including the future-proofing of homes and buildings and investing in nature-based solutions.
Baroness Brown, adaptation chair at the CCC, said: “Climate change poses a catalogue of risks to UK infrastructure. For example, a flood might damage an electricity substation which has a knock-on effect on the transport network due to a power outage. These dependencies, if disrupted, have potentially devastating consequences. Prudent planning today can help avoid a domino-effect of failures in the future.”
Commenting on the CCC’s findings, Nick Molho, chief executive of the Aldersgate Group of business leaders, said: “Adapting to climate change is an environmental and economic imperative. In addition to devastating impacts on species and habitats, climate change will, without further urgent action, significantly disrupt the UK’s critical infrastructure, supply chains, food supply and business productivity.
“Businesses also have an important and proactive role to play in improving the future resilience of the economy. This should include regularly monitoring and disclosing their vulnerability to the physical and regulatory impacts related to climate change, reviewing the environmental impacts and resilience of their supply chains, incorporating climate change adaptation in everyday investment decisions and large corporations supporting smaller businesses in their supply chains to develop adaptation strategies.”