Latest news with #DrAmyDoherty
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Scientists blame climate change for UK heatwave: Met Office is ‘virtually certain' 35°C temperatures were caused by global warming
Scientists have blamed climate change for the UK heatwave. The Met Office says it is 'virtually certain' that this week's 35°C temperatures were caused by global warming. 'Past studies have shown it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events such as this,' said Dr Amy Doherty, Met Office Climate Scientist. 'Numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human influence increased the chance that specific extreme heat events would occur, such as the summer of 2018 and July 2022. 'Our Met Office climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK. 'Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer.' The warning comes as the Met Office confirmed that last month was England's hottest June on record. Average temperatures hit a balmy 16.9°C - the highest recorded since the series began in 1884. Last month was the second warmest on record for the UK, which saw an average temperature of 15.2°C. The east and southeast of England were especially hot last month, with East Anglia's average temperature hitting 3°C above its long-term average. Across June, two heatwaves were confirmed across England and Wales - one in the third week of the month, and the second closing out the month. This second heatwave has been more concentrated on the very far south and east of England, according to the Met Office. As for how this year compares to the infamous summer of 1976, the Met Office says that while last month was hotter, June 1976 remains more notable due to the longevity of the heat. 'During 1976, multiple locations across England recorded heatwave spells lasting over two weeks,' the Met Office explained. Looking ahead, the UK is likely to see more frequent and intense heatwaves, according to the Met Office. Just last month, the Met Office's research showed that the chances of hitting 40°C are climbing at pace. The study, published in the journal Weather, showed that there is now a 50/50 chance of the UK hitting 40°C again in the next 12 years. Worryingly, the researchers warn that even hotter temperatures are possible, with a maximum of 46.6°C (115.9°F) now 'plausible' in today's climate. Lead author Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office, said: 'The chance of exceeding 40°C has been rapidly increasing, and it is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising. 'We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate.' Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, called heatwaves 'silent killers'. 'Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible,' he warned.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Last month was England's hottest June on RECORD - with average temperatures hitting a balmy 16.9°C, Met Office confirms
In news that will come as no surprise to residents across England, the Met Office has confirmed that last month was England's hottest June on record. Average temperatures hit a balmy 16.9°C - the highest recorded since the series began in 1884. Last month was also the second warmest on record for the UK, which saw an average temperature of 15.2°C. The Met Office says it's 'virtually certain' that humans are at least partially to blame for the intense heat. 'Past studies have shown it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events such as this,' said Dr Amy Doherty, Met Office Climate Scientist. 'Numerous climate attribution studies have shown that human influence increased the chance that specific extreme heat events would occur, such as the summer of 2018 and July 2022. 'Our Met Office climate projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in our future climate, particularly over the southeast of the UK. 'Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, but the heat would be most intense in summer.' The east and southeast of England were especially hot last month, with East Anglia's average temperature hitting 3°C above its long-term average. Across June, two heatwaves were confirmed across England and Wales - one in the third week of the month, and the second closing out the month. This second heatwave has been more concentrated on the very far south and east of England, according to the Met Office. As for how this year compares to the infamous summer of 1976, the Met Office says that while last month was hotter, June 1976 remains more notable due to the longevity of the heat. 'During 1976, multiple locations across England recorded heatwave spells lasting over two weeks,' the Met Office explained. Looking ahead, the UK is likely to see more frequent and intense heatwaves, according to the Met Office. Just last month, the Met Office's research showed that the chances of hitting 40°C are climbing at pace. The study, published in the journal Weather, showed that there is now a 50/50 chance of the UK hitting 40°C again in the next 12 years. Worryingly, the researchers warn that even hotter temperatures are possible, with a maximum of 46.6°C (115.9°F) now 'plausible' in today's climate. Lead author Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office, said: 'The chance of exceeding 40°C has been rapidly increasing, and it is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising. 'We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate.' Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, research fellow at the Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, called heatwaves 'silent killers'. 'Unlike floods or storms, their impact can be invisible,' he warned. 'People who die during extreme heat usually have pre-existing health conditions, and heat is rarely recorded as a contributing cause of death.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Weather: What is a 'heat dome' - and how long is it set to affect the UK?
Most of Europe is right now baking in a so-called "heat dome" - conditions a bit like a pizza oven, which are scorching Spain, France, Italy, Greece and beyond. Meanwhile, temperatures in the UK could soar to a rare 34C (93.2F) today - meaning it could be hotter than Mexico, Barbados and Jamaica. So, what's going on with our weather? What is a heat dome? A heat dome forms when an area of high pressure lingers over a region for days or weeks. This pressure traps hot air - like the dome of a pizza oven or a lid on a saucepan - and bakes the air and land beneath. As the ground parches, it absorbs heat - making conditions hotter still. The dome of high pressure also blocks out clouds and cooler air, resulting in clear skies and persistent heat. What effect is the heat dome having on the UK? The current heat dome is hovering across most of Europe, while the UK sits just on the cusp of it. That means the same high pressure bringing plus 40C (104F) temperatures to southern Europe is also roasting southern and eastern England on Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures could soar to 34C (93.2F) in London and the southeast today - a "relatively rare event, with just a handful of days [of 34C] since the 1960s", according to Met Office scientist Dr Amy Doherty. And these regions are due to sweat through a "tropical night" on Monday evening - when temperatures do not drop below 20C (68F), making it much harder to sleep. This heat will be pushed away to the southeast on Tuesday night, as a cold front moves through southeastern England. Northern and western Britain sit outside the area of high pressure, hence conditions there are cooler and wetter. 1:55 Are heat domes becoming more common? The (scientific) jury is still out, says climate scientist Dr Michael Byrne, from the University of St Andrews. "Some research suggests heat domes will become more common as climate warms, with more frequent heatwaves as a result" but there is no scientific consensus yet, he says. "But what is crystal clear is that climate change is loading the dice such that when a heat dome does occur, it brings hotter and more dangerous temperatures," he adds. 1:56 The 'game-changer' While heat domes are nothing new, their more intense impacts are. Europe is already more than 2C warmer than in pre-industrial times, and the fastest warming continent in the world, making every heatwave and heat dome hotter than they would have been. That's because greenhouse gases released from burning fossil fuels are trapping more heat in the Earth's atmosphere, raising the average temperatures. Dr Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science from Imperial College London, says: "Countless studies have shown that climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat in Europe, making heatwaves much more frequent, especially the hottest ones - and more intense." Prof James Dyke, an expert in climate science from Exeter University, adds: "The only way to avoid even more extreme heat is to rapidly phase out fossil fuels." But we must also adapt to the hotter world, experts say, which means making sure people and buildings can keep cool to avoid the dangerous side effects. Baroness Brown, from the Climate Change Committee (CCC), told Sky News in April: "It still seems to feel like it's tomorrow's problem… and if we don't tackle it today, it becomes tomorrow's disaster." 1:56 The 'silent killer' and the side effects Scientists call heatwaves the "silent killer" because they drive significant excess deaths, particularly in those who are already vulnerable. They are also dangerous for small children - whose small bodies heat up faster - and pregnant women, and risk premature births. The side effects hit not just our health but land and buildings too. Heat fuels the conditions for wildfires, and can cause crops, railways, and power lines to fail. Dr Madeleine Thomson, from the Wellcome Trust, which supports health research, says we need a longer-term approach to coping with longer and hotter heat. "The strategy of reacting to each crisis is failing, and the science tells us it will get worse," she says. ""We need to shift to proactive, rapid and coordinated action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. "The tools exist. The evidence is clear. What's missing is the urgency. We must act and we must act now."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- BBC News
How unusual is this UK heatwave and what is the role of climate change?
A second spell of temperatures well over 30C before we've even got to the end of June - how unusual is this and how much is climate change to blame?Temperatures of 34C are possible on Monday or Tuesday in south-east England. They've been triggered by an area of high pressure getting "stuck" over Europe, known as a heat climate scientists are clear that the heat will have inevitably been boosted by our warming climate. Some might say these temperatures feel "just like summer" – and it's true they are a lot cooler than the record 40C and more the UK hit in July it's important to be aware just how unusual mid-thirties temperatures are for the the second half of the 20th Century, one in ten years saw highs of 35C or more, BBC analysis of Met Office data this heat is becoming more common. Between 2015 and 2024, half of the years saw 35C or above. And these temperatures are particularly unusual for June, typically the coolest summer month."Recording 34C in June in the UK is a relatively rare event, with just a handful of days since the 1960s," said Dr Amy Doherty, climate scientist at the Met hottest June day on record was in 1976 at 35.6C. The next years on the list are 2017 with a June high of 34.5C and 2019 with 34.0C. Forecasts suggest that 2025 could break into the top three. And further data from the Met Office also shows that over the decade 2014-2023, days exceeded 32C more than three times as often in the UK as during the 1961-1990 period. Role of climate change It is well-established that climate change is making heatwaves stronger and more humans burn coal, oil and gas and cut down forests, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the gases act like a blanket, causing the planet to heat far humans have caused the planet to heat up by 1.36C above levels of the late 1800s, leading scientists reported earlier this might not sound a lot. But even a small increase in the Earth's average temperature can shift heat extremes to much higher levels."Climate change is an absolute game-changer when it comes to heat in Europe, making heatwaves much more frequent, especially the hottest ones, and more intense," said Dr Friederike Otto, associate professor at Imperial College London. And as climate change continues apace, heatwaves will keep on getting more likely and could reach even higher temperatures."The severity of summer heatwaves, but also extremes of dry as well as wet weather events, will continue to worsen until we rein in our greenhouse gas emissions and stabilise our warming climate," said Richard Allan, professor of climate science at the University of Reading. Adapting to a warmer world Temperatures in the mid-thirties are more common in other parts of the world of in many cases the UK's infrastructure – from roads and railways to hospitals and care homes – is simply poorly designed for such Climate Change Committee - the government's independent adviser - has warned, for example, that more properties are likely to be at risk of overheating in the decades these risks are not evenly distributed among the population."Air conditioning and other cooling systems become crucial to maintaining health, productivity and quality of life amidst rising temperatures," said Dr Radhika Khosla, associate professor at the University of Oxford"However, access to cooling is unfortunately rarely equal even in developed countries, and the UK's most disadvantaged people will bear the brunt of this heatwave," she so heatwaves like this highlight not only the nature of our changing climate, but also the challenges adapting to it. Sign up for our Future Earth newsletter to keep up with the latest climate and environment stories with the BBC's Justin Rowlatt. Outside the UK? Sign up to our international newsletter here.
