For immediate release – Monday 29 July 2019

The Grantham Research Institute has responded to the announcement by the Met Office (29 July 2019) that a recording of 38.7°C at Cambridge Botanic Garden on Thursday 25 July has become the highest temperature officially recorded in the UK.

Bob Ward, director of policy and communications at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said:

“The confirmation that we broke the all-time UK temperature record last week is a disturbing milestone.

“The previous record was set during the summer heatwave in 2003, when more than 2,000 people died in the UK, and more 50,000 perished across Europe.

“Heatwaves are becoming more frequent, and more intense, due to climate change, and the risk of heat-related deaths is increasing. Sadly, this trend will continue for the next few decades, and so we will have to adapt more quickly, for instance by ensuring our buildings do not dangerously overheat.

“However, we can expect new records to be set regularly. It is inevitable that we will eventually see a temperature of more than 40°C in the UK.”

For more information about this media release please contact Kieran Lowe on +44 (0) 20 7107 5442 or k.lowe@lse.ac.uk or Bob Ward on +44 (0) 7811 320346 or r.e.ward@lse.ac.uk

 

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