A heat circuit breaker for the UK

Preparing for a hotter future: a framing report

This report marks the start of the National Heat Resilience Commission’s work. It explains the context for establishing the Commission and its mandate of providing independent expertise and strategy on how the UK can improve resilience to the growing risk of high temperatures.

The report sets out the risks from extreme heat, drawing attention to the impacts experienced during the record-breaking summer of 2026 with its heatwaves, drought and wildfires and the summer of 2022 when parts of the UK experienced temperatures of 40°C for the first time in recorded history.

The authors highlight the ‘implementation gap’ in acting on extreme heat. They outline 10 existing recommendations from advisers, parliamentary committees, researchers and practitioners that have not yet been translated into action, across governance, people and communities, built environment and infrastructure, and the economy. Over the next year the Commission will build on these existing recommendations to develop practical pathways towards a heat-resilient UK, setting out the actions, timescales, policies and legislation needed across sectors to turn ambition into implementation. The authors call for pace, coordination and sustained commitment to prepare for a hotter future.

The report is published alongside Phase 1 of the Commission’s Call for Evidence. This phase is aimed at businesses, public bodies, institutions, and voluntary and community organisations across the UK with relevant evidence, experience or insight.