Why Is The Uk So Hot?

Why Is The Uk So Hot

Why is it getting so hot in the UK?

Why is the UK having a heatwave? – With official heatwave criteria being met across most southern parts of the UK including London, Essex and Kent areas, Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway has said high pressure and an active tropical cyclone are to blame.

8 simple and cheap ways to cool down a room during a summer heatwave Is it better to have a hot or cold shower during the heatwave?

“An active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic is helping to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, and has pushed the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north.” This is the opposite of what happened for the rest of the summer as the UK was blocked from any warmer weather due to the high pressure jet stream over Europe which caused their severe heatwaves. The heatwave has left workers in London hot and sticky this week. Picture: Getty

Is the UK hotter than it used to be?

UK weather: This heatwave is very unusual – here’s why

  • It’s very rare for the UK to see three consecutive days where temperatures are above 30C (86F) in September.
  • According to Met Office data, it’s happened just four times before this year: 1898, 1906, 1911 and 2016.
  • Now, 2023 has joined the list – and smashed records for the longest September hot spell ever.

On Thursday at 1pm, the temperature in Northolt was 30.2C (86F), which makes it the fourth day in a row where the 30C mark was breached. And forecasters predict that we could see five or six consecutive days above this level before the week is out. There are other records that are unlikely to be broken this week.

The record for the UK’s hottest day in a September was set all the way back in 1906, when 35.6C (96F) was seen in South Yorkshire. While such a long heatwave so late in the year is unusual, it is no surprise to meteorologists. The UK’s climate is changing Although we don’t have a full month of this year’s data to compare with, the average daily temperature in September was 13.2C (55F) in the 10 years to 2022.

That’s an increase of almost 1.5C since the mid-1990s.

  1. Thursday’s forecast of 32C is 12C hotter than the average high for this time of year.
  2. The Met Office told Sky News: “It’s evident in our observational records that the UK climate is already changing.
  3. “What we’re seeing, and what we expect to continue seeing, is an increase in the intensity, duration and extent of heatwaves in the UK.
  4. “While the UK climate has always experienced natural variability of warm and cool weather, what climate change does to heat events is add that extra layer of background global temperature rises to the meteorological conditions, helping to pep temperatures up.”
  5. Met Office records – dating back to 1884 – show a clear increase in September average temperatures, and this rise is expected to carry on over the years.
  6. By 2070, meteorologists project that 30C on two or more days will become more likely – with southern parts of the UK experiencing this 16 times more frequently than today.
  7. US-based researchers Climate Central have calculated that the late heatwave was made five times more likely because of climate change.
  8. Tropical storms have also helped push a high pressure system over the UK and central Europe – while further south, Greece and Spain have been hit with torrential downpours and flooding after a summer of intense wildfires.
  9. The Greek islands, south of France, Ibiza and LA will all be cooler than London this weekend.
  10. The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber warning for heat lasting until Sunday at 9pm – meaning extra stress will be placed on the health service because of the weather.
  11. Those over 65 or with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases are at greater risk.
  12. Consecutive days of heat can lead to more health issues than one-offs as prolonged heat puts more of a strain on our bodies with little respite,,

: UK weather: This heatwave is very unusual – here’s why

Does it get very hot in England?

So what should I expect? Although UK weather is unpredictable, it is rarely extreme. In summer, the average temperature ranges from 9–18 degrees Celsius (48–64 degrees Fahrenheit). On occasion, it can reach around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) in a heatwave.

Why is the UK so hot right now 2023?

Why is it so warm right now? – Why Is The Uk So Hot A man reads a book while sunbathing in Green Park in central London on 5 September, 2023 as the country experiences a late heatwave (Photo: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images) According to the Met Office, an active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic is helping to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, and has pushed the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north.

Why 25 degrees really is hot in the UK?

Indeed, as a spokesperson for the Met Office told MyLondon: ‘ The level of humidity can be higher in the UK than in continental Europe. If humidity is high, it is harder for the human body to keep cool as your sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly.

Could the UK reach 40 degrees?

UK heatwave: What happens when the country reaches 40C? Sun, sea and sand are images we usually tend to associate with summer, but over the past few years that has changed, now pictures of scorched earth and dried-up reservoirs have become increasingly commonplace as the climate crisis comes into sharper focus.

  • Large parts of the country have seen plenty of sunshine and high temperatures over the past month, following a wet and dreary start to the year.
  • And it looks as though more baking hot weather is on the way.
  • Forecasters say there is a “greater than normal” chance of heatwaves in the second half of July, following the warmest June on record.
  • High-pressure conditions are set to create a “correspondingly higher likelihood” of a heatwave, sparking fears that the temperature record could be broken just a year after it was set.
  • Professor Richard Betts, who heads the Climate Impacts Research at the Met Office, said the impact of temperatures of 40C on the UK’s animals species was “uncharted territory”.
  • “The main point for the UK is that 40C is not something that species in this country are adapted to because it is virtually unprecedented – no creatures or plants in this country experienced temperatures of 40C until the 19 July last year, so it’s uncharted territory,” he told The Independent,

“Since we expect these temperatures to happen more often now as a result of, species will increasingly be experiencing temperatures to which they are not adapted. What this means in detail remains to be seen, but in principle, a shift outside of a species’ climate niche poses a threat.” He added that one of the more visible impacts of the extreme temperatures were the wildfire that raged in parts of the UK last year.

  1. July last year was the driest in England since 1911 and droughts were declared in several areas across the country the following month, including in Bristol,,, south, parts of
  2. Hosepipe bans were issued in several areas, including Wessex where public and businesses were advised to “use water wisely as the dry summer impacts the environment”.
  3. An Environment Agency report found this year found that monthly rainfall totals for the majority of river catchments were classed as “exceptionally low” for the time of year.
  4. In August, there had been five consecutive months of below average rainfall across all geographic regions in England and above average temperatures.
  5. With Wessex now officially in drought, 11 of the 14 Environment Agency areas in England are now in drought status.

There are four classifications the agency uses to manage arid conditions across these areas. They are: prolonged dry weather, drought, severe drought and recovering drought. As well as having a negative impact on animals, plants and water systems, higher-than-average temperatures can also create havoc in everyday life, sometimes causing travel disruption and extremely uncomfortable conditions on public transport.

  • 50C – temperature at which tarmac starts to soften
  • 70C – temperature needed to cook an egg
You might be interested:  Why Take Montelukast At Night?

There is also a small percentage of roads in the country that have concrete surfaces, which are unaffected by heat. Both types of road surface are suitable for use in very hot weather and in a changing climate.

  • “The design and build standards we apply ensure our roads are kept safe and serviceable,” NH adds.
  • “Our design standards are considered best practice and have been adopted by other countries around the world.”
  • During last year’s heatwave in July, sky-high temperatures affected some roads that were not resilient against extreme conditions.
  • Part of a road in, Blyton, Lincolnshire, melted as the surface temperature exceeded 54C.
  • There was a similar report in Stockport, Greater Manchester, where the top layer of Broadstone Road buckled under the heat.

Tarmac viscoelastic material, which means that as a solid it’s very strong but it can also transition back to a liquid under intense heat. At around 50C, the material softens and melts, although this only tends to affect the top layer. A road in the UK melts amid scorching hot temperatures Residents of London will be all too familiar with the suffocating heat on the city’s packed Tube trains during the warm weather.

  1. Fast forward to 2023 and Transport for London (TfL) says there are now 192 air-conditioned Tube trains covering 40 per cent of the network, with enhanced tunnel ventilation systems on the Victoria and Jubilee lines.
  2. TfL says that, with heatwaves becoming more common, it has a “comprehensive” hot weather plan in place to keep services running.
  3. “We’re also working hard with our partners to explore how we better adapt to, and prepare for, the impacts of climate change and ensure that our transport services are more resilient in the face of more extreme and frequent weather events,” Carl Eddleston TfL’s network management and resilience director, said.
  4. “When high temperatures arise we encourage customers to carry water with them when they travel, to look out for each other while travelling, and use TfL’s real-time travel tools, including status updates, Journey Planner and TfL Go, for the latest information on how TfL services are operating.”

: UK heatwave: What happens when the country reaches 40C?

Has it ever been 40 degrees in England?

A new event summary from the Met Office shows that the UK’s recent extreme heat was far more intense and widespread than previous comparable heatwaves. This was the first time 40°C has been recorded in the UK. A new record daily maximum temperature was provisionally reached on 19 July, with 40.3°C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, exceeding the previous record by 1.6°C.

A total of 46 stations across the UK exceeded the previous UK record of 38.7°C. Many long-running stations with 100+ year records recorded their highest ever temperature, some by extraordinary margins of 3 to 4°C. Records were set overnight too, when Kenley Airfield, Greater London, recorded a new highest minimum temperature of 25.8°C.

New provisional national temperature records were also set for Wales and Scotland. On 18 July, 37.1°C was recorded at Hawarden Airport, Flintshire, while 35.1°C was reached at Floors Castle, Borders on 19 July. The post-event report from the Met Office shows that the record-breaking temperatures seen as part of the heatwave demonstrate much more widespread and significant heat than previous noteworthy extreme heat events.

How hot will summer 2023 be UK?

Sunshine for some – Why Is The Uk So Hot Sunshine hours will end the season relatively close to average, though areas to the north generally saw more clear skies than those further south. The UK saw 6% more sunshine than average in the season, once again thanks largely to high pressure and clear skies through much of June.

Maximum temp Minimum temp Mean temp Rainfall Sunshine
Area Actual temp ( ° C) Anomaly ( ° c) Actual temp ( ° C) Anomaly ( ° C) Actual temp ( ° C) Anomaly ( ° C) Actual (mm) Anomaly (%) Actual (hours) Anomaly (%)
UK 19.7 0.9 11.0 0.7 15.4 0.8 281.4 111 535.9 106
England 21.0 0.6 11.7 0.6 16.3 0.6 233.2 113 582.0 103
Wales 19.4 0.7 11.6 0.9 15.4 0.8 343.1 113 492.0 96
Scotland 17.9 1.3 9.8 0.7 13.8 1.0 327.1 103 486.5 115
N. Ireland 19.2 1.1 11.0 0.9 15.1 1.0 383.9 142 439.3 104

Why is hot weather uncomfortable in the UK?

Why does heat in the UK feel hotter than abroad? There’s no denying that the, with temperatures next week expected to get as high as 40! degrees! in some places. But – as well as forcing us to become – the has left us wondering: why does feel hotter than abroad? Thankfully, we can wonder no more, as one doctor who answered that very question is going viral on TikTok.

  • Why does the heat in the UK feel even hotter than when you’re abroad?” Dr Karan Raj asked his 4.9 million TikTok followers.
  • It feels like you’re melting!” As for why that is, Dr Raj continued: “The UK can get pretty humid, which means that sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
  • The human body finds it harder to keep cool and we get these hot, tropical nights where the temperature doesn’t dip so we actually don’t get a break from the heat.” On top of that, he adds, “because it’s cold most of the year, the buildings in the UK are designed to keep heat in, compared to hotter countries.

And the average person in the UK does not have aircon.” His heatwave explanation went down a treat with curious TikTokers, who flocked to the comments section to praise the doctor and share their own thoughts on the topic. “Bricks, insulation, carpets, curtains, yes we are boiling right now!” one person commented, with another person writing: “I’m Australian, the UK in the heat is REVOLTING!” “Its sticky heat in UK. Overseas the heat is dry and bearable,” someone else added to the conversation, with a fourth putting: “Also we have such changes in temperatures, that we don’t get a chance to get used to it!!” So, there you have it! Happy heatwaving. : Why does heat in the UK feel hotter than abroad?

Why is heat worse in the UK?

Big cities like London are affected by something called an urban heat island (UHI) effect. This happens because ‘ the sun’s rays are absorbed by hard surfaces rather than by vegetation such as trees, plants and grass. Radiation from our hard surfaces is released into the air as heat,’ says the London Assembly.

How hot has England ever been?

Highest temperature by country

Constituent country Temperature Place(s)
England 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) Coningsby, Lincolnshire
Wales 37.1 °C (98.8 °F) Hawarden, Flintshire
Scotland 34.8 °C (94.6 °F) Charterhall, Scottish Borders
Northern Ireland 31.3 °C (88.3 °F) Castlederg, County Tyrone

How hot will England be in 2050?

Energy & Environment Climate and Weather

Premium Premium statistics Industry-specific and extensively researched technical data (partially from exclusive partnerships). A paid subscription is required for full access. Published by Apr 17, 2023 Projections show that the climate emergency could have considerable impacts in England.

Why is Europe so hot?

The European heatwave of July 2023 in a longer-term context The European heatwave of July 2023 in a longer-term context You are here: Europe is experiencing some of the hottest temperatures of summer 2023 so far, as a ‘heat dome’ expands over the southern half of the continent.

  1. This weather pattern allows a warm air mass to build up under a high-pressure system, creating stable and dry conditions.
  2. It is thought that Europe is currently experiencing the peak of this heatwave, with parts of Greece, eastern Spain, Sardinia, Sicily and southern Italy seeing temperatures above 45°C at the start of this week.

The current extreme heat is due to an anticyclone, a high-pressure system, that is dominating the upper atmosphere over southern Europe. As well as compressing and warming air, high-pressure systems are associated with reduced cloud cover, allowing more solar radiation to reach the ground.

This allows for substantial heating of Earth’s surface by the sun, heat which then moves upwards into the atmosphere. The long days and short nights of summer mean that this heating effect is maximised. Large scale winds, advection, blowing hot air for example from northern Africa into Europe, can also contribute to heatwaves.

For the current heatwave this factor seems to be less important. Another possible influence on Europe’s current weather is the that was reported on by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S*) in early July. During June, and into the start of July, the Atlantic Ocean has been warmer than average across most of its basins, especially near North America and Europe. Why Is The Uk So Hot Sea surface temperature anomaly (°C) for the month of June 2023, relative to the 1991-2020 reference period. Data source: ERA5. Credit: Copernicus Climate Change Service/ECMWF. If the heat dome isn’t disrupted, it is possible that Europe could face more episodes of extreme heat this summer unless a major shift occurs in the general atmospheric circulation.

  1. Heat stress is the impact the environment has on the human body, accounting for temperature, humidity, wind speed and other factors.
  2. Data for summer 2023 up until 15 July show that large parts of southern Europe have already seen up to 10 days of ‘very strong heat stress’, and parts of southern Spain have experienced up to 30 days of ‘very strong heat stress’.

Last year, southern Spain saw 50-60 days of very strong heat stress, and in some small areas, up to 70 days, over the whole summer. This region has already seen some days with ‘extreme heat stress’ so far this summer, and it is likely that the data will show that parts of southern Europe experienced ‘extreme heat stress’ during the most recent heatwave.

Across Europe, there is an in the number of days in summer during which the maximum heat stress falls within the categories of ‘strong’ and ‘very strong’. In southern Europe, there is also an increase in the number of days with ‘extreme heat stress’. Here, summer 2022 had the highest number of days with ‘very strong heat stress’ in a record that goes back to 1950.

“In the longer term, as the climate warms, Europe is seeing an increasing number of, and in southern Europe, an increasing number of days with ‘extreme heat stress’. A indicated that more than 60,000 people in Europe lost their lives due to the extreme heatwaves last summer,” explained Carlo Buontempo, Director of C3S. Why Is The Uk So Hot Percentage of days during summer with ‘very strong heat stress’ (UTCI between 38 and 46°C) in southern Europe, from 1950 to 2022. Data source: ERA5-HEAT. Credit C3S/ECMWF. As well as affecting health, weather conditions have an impact on the likelihood of wildfires.

  • During this heatwave, such conditions have mostly affected the Iberian Peninsula, Northern Morocco, and Algeria.
  • There have been high nighttime temperatures in these regions, remaining above 22°C for most nights during this heatwave.
  • Low relative humidity, with values below 20-10% in parts of southwestern Europe, has allowed for poor moisture recovery overnight.

The Fire Weather Index (FWI) is a meteorologically based index used worldwide to estimate fire danger. Values have been around 80, classified as ‘very extreme’ by the Copernicus Emergency Management Service. This follows a year with the, with over 900 000 ha estimated to have burnt across the EU countries in 2022.

  1. Persistent and throughout the summer months resulted in a substantial increase in the number of days with FWI above 50 in southwestern areas, classified as ‘extreme’ fire danger.
  2. Temperatures for Europe as a whole show for both annual and seasonal averages.
  3. The annual temperature for 2022 was the second warmest on record for Europe, and was 0.3°C cooler than 2020, the warmest year on record.

The ten warmest years on record for Europe have all occurred since 2000, and the five warmest years have all occurred since 2014. Summer 2022 was the warmest on record, by a large margin, at 1.4°C above average. The average temperature over European land was only a little warmer in the early 1980s than it had been a hundred years earlier but has risen sharply over the past forty or so years. Why Is The Uk So Hot European air temperature over land – anomalies for summer (JJA) 1950–2022, relative to the average for the 1991–2020 reference period. Data source: ERA5, E-OBS. Credit: C3S/ECMWF/KNMI. While the current heatwave is expected to last until around 26 July, another period of extreme temperatures may follow if the heat dome persists.

  • C3S seasonal forecasts also predict that well-above-average temperatures are likely to continue across Europe until the end of summer, with the exception of southeastern parts of the continent where large uncertainty leaves the probability for extreme conditions close to average.
  • C3S is monitoring the evolution of the season.

June was the warmest on record for the globe as a whole, and the first 15 days of July have been the warmest 15 days on record. This means that the chance of having a record-breaking summer for the globe is not remote,” said Carlo Buontempo. “Without a dedicated study we can’t say how much more likely the current heatwave has become as a consequence of climate change, but it could be seen as part of a global pattern.

For instance, that “every additional 0.5°C of global warming causes clearly discernible increases in the intensity and frequency of hot extremes, including heatwaves (very likely)”. ECMWF forecasts are updated four times a day and the latest can be found through the website. *C3S is implemented by the European Centre for Medium–Range Weather Forecasts with funding from the European Commission.

: The European heatwave of July 2023 in a longer-term context

What is the most humid country in Europe?

Top 10 Most Humid Cities in Europe

Rank City Humidity
1 Höfn, Iceland 99.1%
2 Athy, Ireland 60.1%
3 Remich, Luxembourg 53.7%
4 Fredrikstad, Norway 53.0%

Why are British houses so hot?

British homes were built to retain heat. That’s becoming a problem. (Published 2022) Keeping homes cool in the country’s typically mild summers was never a priority. Why Is The Uk So Hot Credit. Carl Recine/Reuters For generations, homes in Britain were designed to retain heat, to make cold winters bearable. Keeping them cool in the typically mild summers was an afterthought, if it was a thought at all. But in recent years, each new heat wave brings a fresh reminder that buying a fan or two simply won’t always cut it.

  1. There has been increasing interest among builders and designers, with some prodding from activists and the government, to ensure that new homes are built to limit overheating in the summer.
  2. New regulations, called, took effect in England in June, requiring that new homes are built with some measures to combat overheating.

The regulations aim to reduce solar gain — the increase in room temperature caused by sunlight — ensuring the safety of occupants, even if it may remain uncomfortable. The rules “will help designers, architects and engineers make more informed decisions so that the risk of overheating can be reduced in new properties,” said Mark Siddall, a principal at Low Energy Architectural Practice.

  • Often, he said, rooms gain a lot of heat through large windows oriented in certain directions — the kind of design decision future homes may more fully consider.
  • Historically, designers in Britain haven’t worried too much about overheating, said Susie Diamond, a founder at Inkling LLP.
  • We haven’t needed to be protected from heat waves, so it hasn’t been a priority,” she said.

But with, and summers growing hotter, that’s no longer the case. Ms. Diamond said good design that accounts for overheating — including windows that open more widely and adding ceiling fans — can fix many of the issues without using air conditioning, and often seen as environmentally unfriendly and unnecessary for all but a few days per year.

In the past decade, the Climate Change Committee, an independent group that advises the British government, has to combat overheating, along with a retrofitting program to address older homes. called for better shading, reflective surfaces and green cover, warning that a failure to build new homes without accounting for overheating could “leave many existing and new homes uninhabitable as temperatures rise.” A version of this article appears in print on, Section A, Page 8 of the New York edition with the headline: U.K.

Adapting New Homes To Rising Heat, | | : British homes were built to retain heat. That’s becoming a problem. (Published 2022)

Is the UK hot because of climate change?

Why Is The Uk So Hot A heatwave over Europe, as seen from space. Image credit: Shutterstock. Home News Extremely hot days are warming twice as fast as average summer days in North-West Europe A study published today in Geophysical Research Letters shows that the maximum temperature of the hottest days is increasing at twice the rate of the maximum temperature of average summer days. Why Is The Uk So Hot Dr Matthew Patterson. Image credit: University of Oxford. New research led by the University of Oxford has found that climate change is causing the hottest days in North-West Europe to warm at double the rate of average summer days. The difference in trends is most pronounced for England, Wales, and Northern France.

Worryingly, while current climate models accurately predict the rate of warming for average days, they underestimate the rate at which the hottest days are warming compared to observations. According to lead researcher Dr Matthew Patterson, from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, the results indicate that extreme heat events – such as the UK’s record-breaking heatwave last summer – are likely to become more regular.

UK Hot Weather Warning

Dr Patterson said: ‘These findings underline the fact that the UK and neighbouring countries are already experiencing the effects of climate change, and that last year’s heatwave was not a fluke. Policy makers urgently need to adapt their infrastructure and health systems to cope with the impacts of higher temperatures.’ For the study, Dr Patterson analysed data from the past 60 years (1960-2021) recording the maximum daily temperature, provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

  1. Although the maximum recorded temperature varied between years, the overall trend clearly showed that the hottest days for North-West Europe had warmed at twice the rate of average summer days.
  2. For England and Wales, the average summer day increased by approximately 0.26°C per decade, whilst the hottest day increased by around 0.58°C per decade.

However, this faster warming of the hottest days was not observed to this extent elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. The rapid warming of hot days relative to average days in north-west Europe is concerning and not yet fully understood. Scientists need to clarify the underlying mechanism in order to understand whether this pattern will continue into the future.

  1. Equally, these results show that the UK is already experiencing the effects of climate change and needs to adapt accordingly.
  2. Dr Matthew Patterson, Department of Physics, University of Oxford The reason causing this faster warming of the hottest days relative to average summer days is not yet understood.

According to Dr Patterson, this may be due to the hottest summer days in North-West Europe often being linked to hot air transported north from over Spain. Because Spain is warming faster than North-West Europe, this means that air carried in from this region is ever more extreme relative to the ambient air in North-West Europe.

  • The hottest days of 2022, for instance, were driven by a plume of hot air carried north from Spain and the Sahara.
  • However, further research is needed to verify this.
  • Dr Patterson added: ‘Understanding the warming rate of the hottest days will be important if we are to improve climate model simulation of extreme events and make accurate predictions about the future intensity of such events.

If our models underestimate the rise in extreme temperatures over the coming decades, we will underestimate the impacts this will have.’ Extreme heat has significant negative impacts on many different aspects of society, including energy and transport infrastructure, and agriculture.

It also exacerbates conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, putting a strain on health services. The current UK Government has been criticised by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) for failing to act quickly enough to adapt for the impacts of global heating, These new findings add even more urgency for policy makers to adapt infrastructure and systems vulnerable to extreme heat.

The study ‘North-West Europe hottest days are warming twice as fast as mean summer days’ has been published in Geophysical Research Letters, Why Is The Uk So Hot Time series of average summer (black) and maximum summer (red) daily maximum temperatures averaged over England and Wales, 1960-2021. Trend-lines are also shown for each time series. Image credit: Matthew Patterson, Department of Physics, University of Oxford.

How hot will the UK be in 2100?

How hot will the UK summers get? – By 2100, 40°C could be a normal temperature for British summers every two or three years. And for winters, the average temperature under a worst-case emissions scenario will increase by 4°C. Additionally, the chance of a very cold winter will fall to around 1%.

Has it ever been 35 degrees in England?

How hot has it been in the UK? Temperatures do pass the 35C mark occasionally here in the UK but it is unusual to reach the high 30s as in 2020, or pass 40C in 2022.

Is the UK hotter than 98% of the world?

Much of England remains under the Met Office’s first ever red warning as the country’s historic heatwave emergency continues. The UK’s forecasted searing heat today is set to mark out the country as one of the hottest places in the world.

Why does it feel so hot in the UK today?

Why does heat in the UK feel hotter than abroad? There’s no denying that the, with temperatures next week expected to get as high as 40! degrees! in some places. But – as well as forcing us to become – the has left us wondering: why does feel hotter than abroad? Thankfully, we can wonder no more, as one doctor who answered that very question is going viral on TikTok.

  • Why does the heat in the UK feel even hotter than when you’re abroad?” Dr Karan Raj asked his 4.9 million TikTok followers.
  • It feels like you’re melting!” As for why that is, Dr Raj continued: “The UK can get pretty humid, which means that sweat doesn’t evaporate as quickly.
  • The human body finds it harder to keep cool and we get these hot, tropical nights where the temperature doesn’t dip so we actually don’t get a break from the heat.” On top of that, he adds, “because it’s cold most of the year, the buildings in the UK are designed to keep heat in, compared to hotter countries.

And the average person in the UK does not have aircon.” His heatwave explanation went down a treat with curious TikTokers, who flocked to the comments section to praise the doctor and share their own thoughts on the topic. “Bricks, insulation, carpets, curtains, yes we are boiling right now!” one person commented, with another person writing: “I’m Australian, the UK in the heat is REVOLTING!” “Its sticky heat in UK. Overseas the heat is dry and bearable,” someone else added to the conversation, with a fourth putting: “Also we have such changes in temperatures, that we don’t get a chance to get used to it!!” So, there you have it! Happy heatwaving. : Why does heat in the UK feel hotter than abroad?

Why is summer getting hotter UK?

Why Is The Uk So Hot A heatwave over Europe, as seen from space. Image credit: Shutterstock. Home News Extremely hot days are warming twice as fast as average summer days in North-West Europe A study published today in Geophysical Research Letters shows that the maximum temperature of the hottest days is increasing at twice the rate of the maximum temperature of average summer days. Why Is The Uk So Hot Dr Matthew Patterson. Image credit: University of Oxford. New research led by the University of Oxford has found that climate change is causing the hottest days in North-West Europe to warm at double the rate of average summer days. The difference in trends is most pronounced for England, Wales, and Northern France.

Worryingly, while current climate models accurately predict the rate of warming for average days, they underestimate the rate at which the hottest days are warming compared to observations. According to lead researcher Dr Matthew Patterson, from the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, the results indicate that extreme heat events – such as the UK’s record-breaking heatwave last summer – are likely to become more regular.

UK Hot Weather Warning

Dr Patterson said: ‘These findings underline the fact that the UK and neighbouring countries are already experiencing the effects of climate change, and that last year’s heatwave was not a fluke. Policy makers urgently need to adapt their infrastructure and health systems to cope with the impacts of higher temperatures.’ For the study, Dr Patterson analysed data from the past 60 years (1960-2021) recording the maximum daily temperature, provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

  1. Although the maximum recorded temperature varied between years, the overall trend clearly showed that the hottest days for North-West Europe had warmed at twice the rate of average summer days.
  2. For England and Wales, the average summer day increased by approximately 0.26°C per decade, whilst the hottest day increased by around 0.58°C per decade.

However, this faster warming of the hottest days was not observed to this extent elsewhere in the Northern Hemisphere. The rapid warming of hot days relative to average days in north-west Europe is concerning and not yet fully understood. Scientists need to clarify the underlying mechanism in order to understand whether this pattern will continue into the future.

Equally, these results show that the UK is already experiencing the effects of climate change and needs to adapt accordingly. Dr Matthew Patterson, Department of Physics, University of Oxford The reason causing this faster warming of the hottest days relative to average summer days is not yet understood.

According to Dr Patterson, this may be due to the hottest summer days in North-West Europe often being linked to hot air transported north from over Spain. Because Spain is warming faster than North-West Europe, this means that air carried in from this region is ever more extreme relative to the ambient air in North-West Europe.

  1. The hottest days of 2022, for instance, were driven by a plume of hot air carried north from Spain and the Sahara.
  2. However, further research is needed to verify this.
  3. Dr Patterson added: ‘Understanding the warming rate of the hottest days will be important if we are to improve climate model simulation of extreme events and make accurate predictions about the future intensity of such events.

If our models underestimate the rise in extreme temperatures over the coming decades, we will underestimate the impacts this will have.’ Extreme heat has significant negative impacts on many different aspects of society, including energy and transport infrastructure, and agriculture.

It also exacerbates conditions including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, putting a strain on health services. The current UK Government has been criticised by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) for failing to act quickly enough to adapt for the impacts of global heating, These new findings add even more urgency for policy makers to adapt infrastructure and systems vulnerable to extreme heat.

The study ‘North-West Europe hottest days are warming twice as fast as mean summer days’ has been published in Geophysical Research Letters, Why Is The Uk So Hot Time series of average summer (black) and maximum summer (red) daily maximum temperatures averaged over England and Wales, 1960-2021. Trend-lines are also shown for each time series. Image credit: Matthew Patterson, Department of Physics, University of Oxford.