The government has been told to prepare for summer temperatures consistently reaching 40C unless it takes urgent action to protect the UK from the escalating impacts of climate change.
The Climate Change Committee (CCC), a key government advisor, has called on ministers to invest in cooling mechanisms such as air conditioning, heat pumps and green shading across key public services like schools and hospitals, as well as committing to a maximum workplace temperature to protect workers.
It warned that the UK was already facing disruption from the climate crisis which is expected to worsen by 2050, with 92 per cent of homes set to overheat. Peak river flows are also expected to be 45 per cent higher, while water supply shortfalls could exceed five billion litres per day.
The committee warns that worsening extremes of heat, flooding and drought are threatening the British way of life, from lives and livelihoods to the NHS, “gently changing seasons”, children’s football games, music festivals and weekend visits to National Trust venues.
Without action to help people adapt, the increasing risk of heatwaves in the 40Cs by mid-century could lead to as many as 10,000 excess deaths a year, the committee said.
As part of a number of recommendations to support the UK through the changing conditions, the CCC recommended the government design and support transport, energy and telecommunications infrastructure that can operate safely through the crisis. Recommendations were made to invest in flood defences, sustainable water storage and water-efficient new build homes as
Investments to support the committee’s proposals are expected to cost around £11 billion a year, split between public and private funding.
Baroness Brown, chair of the adaptation committee, said that the UK was not powerless in the face of the increasing pressures of the climate crisis.
“Our lives, our landscapes and our homes are under increasing pressure from the changing climate,” she said. “But we are not powerless. In an increasingly unstable world, being well adapted to climate change is fundamental to securing our food, energy and economic security.
“This report carries a message of hope. The solutions already exist, and proven technologies are available now to help the UK adapt effectively. With the right decisions and actions, we can protect the people and the places we love.”
She added: “We can protect patients and residents in overheated hospitals and care homes, children in nurseries and schools, and communities facing repeated flooding. We can support our farmers to maintain our food supplies. We can keep sports pitches usable, high streets open for business, and iconic British music festivals running safely.
“The public want to see change and the government now has an opportunity to step up and protect our way of life.”
It comes after the UK marked its warmest and sunniest year on record in 2025 with a mean temperature of 10.09C. The Met Office attributed the rising temperature to human-induced climate change and warned the UK would see more record-breaking temperatures in the future.
