Among the many challenges facing those of us who have moved from Hong Kong to Britain is adapting to the country’s notoriously cold, wet and windy weather. But climate change is making us feel more at home.
The UK is experiencing – or, more accurately, enduring – its third heatwave of the year, with temperatures hitting 34.7 degrees Celsius on Friday. This weekend, it has been as hot as Hong Kong.
Fresh concerns about Britain’s ability to cope with the soaring temperatures are being raised, from heat-related deaths to wildfires, water shortages and transport meltdowns.
More than 10,000 people are estimated to have died in the UK as a result of heatwaves between 2020 and 2024.
The Climate Change Committee, which advises the government, warned this year that the country’s efforts to adapt to global warming were inadequate and not working.
It recommended setting new targets, improving coordination, adapting policies and stepping up monitoring.
