𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

MPs have demanded to know how ministers plan to tackle the “silent killer” of extreme heat. Toby Perkins, the chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, wanted to know the Government’s plans for overheating in hospitals, care homes, schools and prisons.

He also asked ministers for their views on establishing maximum workplace temperatures, prescribing active cooling such as air conditioning and changing school timetables. He said: “This week parts of the UK are facing temperatures approaching 40 degrees, a level of extreme heat that was once unthinkable yet now is becoming increasingly likely.

“The effects of such extreme heat can be disruptive and devastating. Without action, we will see economic productivity take a hit; more people needing attention in hospital and suffering with poor mental health; more hospitals, care homes and schools overheating and more of our critical transport, water, food and IT systems failing. Economic productivity will be hit, but more importantly we will likely see a significant number of deaths as a direct result of the current heatwave.

“The evidence could not be clearer that extreme heat is an urgent threat to the UK. Yet the government is currently falling “far short of what is needed”, according to its independent climate advisors.

“Taking action carries a significant cost. But the cost of doing nothing is far, far greater. I want to know what action the government is taking to tackle extreme overheating, a problem that will only grow worse without intervention, as well as its views on important measures to adapt to what seems to be our new normal.”

It comes as Thursday was the UK’s hottest June day on record with a provisional temperature of 36.4C recorded in Yeovilton, Somerset, surpassing the high of 36.1C set on Wednesday in Gosport, Hampshire, the Met Office said.

London Ambulance Service said it recorded its highest ever number of life-threatening emergencies in its history “driven by the extreme heat” on Wednesday.

A study by the World Weather Attribution study found the current European heatwave would have been virtually impossible in 1976.

It said climate change is “unequivocally to blame” for the current heatwave.

Gareth Redmond-King, head of international programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, said: “That this week’s day and night-time temperatures in Europe’s heatwave would have been virtually impossible back in 1976 is a stark reminder of what our continued burning of oil, gas, and coal has done to knock our climate system out of balance.

“But in a sense this is just the beginning, and until we reach net zero emissions, bringing our climate back into balance, the temperature records will continue to go up and up, and the impacts on our hospitals, the elderly and very young will be ever greater.

“Looking back, the 1976 heatwave was clearly a one-off, but scroll forwards to now, and the records continue to be broken.”