Scientists have warned that the extreme 32C heat hitting the UK this weekend was made more likely by human-caused climate change
As the UK braces for its first heatwave of 2025, scientists warn that climate change is to blame for the 32C temperatures.
Experts at the World Weather Attribution (WWA) have warned that heatwaves are the “deadliest type of extreme weather globally”, with hundreds of thousands of heat-related deaths each year.
Ahead of a predicted UK heatwave, the health officials issued a rare amber heat-health alert across the whole of England, warning of a “rise in deaths” as temperatures could top 30C for much of the country.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warned those most at risk include vulnerable groups such as those ages 65 and over or with health conditions, with the alert remaining in place until 9am on Monday (June 23).
Early season heat like the current hot spell could be more deadly, the WWA warns, since people are not yet acclimatised to summer temperatures.
What’s more, the experts say that the current heatwave was made 2-4C more intense by global warming. Dr Ben Clarke at Imperial College London, who was part of the research team, said “this weather just wouldn’t have been a heatwave without human-induced warming.”
The researchers also warn in the report that this temperature difference is enough to turn June’s forecast from “warm sunny weather into dangerous heat”.
Dr Friederike Otto, a climate scientist at Imperial College London and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, says: “We know exactly what has intensified this heatwave – burning oil, gas and coal, which has loaded the atmosphere with planet-heating greenhouse gases.”
The report found that the 32C forecast for this Saturday (June 21), would have been expected only once every 2,500 years without the climate crisis. However, they calculated that this temperature will have been made 100 times more likely by climate change.
Historically, June heatwaves – where a temperature of above 28C is recorded for three or more days – would have occurred roughly once every 50 years in the UK. Now, every June has a 20 per cent chance of a heatwave.
It comes as the UK recorded its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday (June 19), with 32.2C recorded in Kew, west London. The report found that trends are strongest in southeast England, but heat extremes are rising across all of the UK and Ireland amid the climate crisis.
The report warned that the combination of an ageing population and UK buildings that are not designed for extreme heat create the conditions for “heat-related mortality and morbidity”.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “Our findings show that heat can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions.
“It is therefore important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.
“The forecasted high temperatures may also lead to an increasing demand for remote healthcare services and an impact on the ability of services delivered due to heat effects on the workforce.”
