Dr. Niall McLoughlin is co-director at Climate Barometer.
Throughout recent weeks, Europe has yet again experienced the deadly effects of record-breaking extreme heat. Hundreds of heat alerts were put in place across the continent, as temperatures soared to 46C in some regions – with school closures and outdoor working bans in some nations.
Here in the UK, England may have just experienced its hottest June on record, with close to 600 people estimated to have died during the hottest period. Droughts have been declared in the North West of England and Yorkshire following the driest spring in 132 years; and wildfires recently scorched the earth across Scotland, Dartmoor and the Peak District. The land area burnt so far this year is already the highest in over a decade.
On Monday, the latest State of the UK Climate report showed that the number of days with temperatures 5C above the 1961-1990 average has doubled since that period for the most recent decade from 2015-2024. According to the Met Office, the hottest days experienced in the UK have dramatically increased in frequency in just a few decades, while the last three years have been in the country’s top five warmest on record.
Not prepared for extreme weather
Government statistics show there were more than 10,000 heat-related deaths in the UK alone between 2020 and 2024. Close to 3,000 people died amidst the record-breaking 2022 heatwaves, when UK temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time.
Despite this, the UK remains unprepared for extreme heat. In April this year, stark warnings were issued by the national government’s official climate adviser, the Climate Change Committee (CCC): The country is “not prepared” for climate impacts, progress has been “inadequate”, “too slow”, or has “stalled”. Encompassing heat risks, the CCC reported that not a single outcome of UK climate adaptation shows signs of ‘good’ delivery.
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The British public agrees the nation isn’t ready. Climate Barometer polling finds that more than three quarters (78%) believe the UK is ‘not prepared’ to deal with climate impacts, including extreme weather. Just 16% say there has been ‘good progress’ when it comes to climate adaptation.
In 2023, over two-thirds of the public said both national and local governments in the UK are not prepared for extreme heat events. Alarmingly, this sentiment is shared by paramedics, fire fighters, decision makers and community leaders who worked on the frontline of the 2022 heatwave response.
A disjointed landscape of heat communication
With most heat-related deaths being preventable, the way we communicate plays a pivotal role in reducing impacts. But we urgently need to improve the landscape of heat risk communication.
In the UK, while updated heat warning systems have been welcomed, aspects of the public-facing communication may be inadequate or unclear in terms of encouraging action. More widely, media portrayals of heatwaves continue to show people having ‘fun in the sun’, despite research showing this undermines the severity of heat risks.
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Across Europe, in the absence of strong leadership on heat, political narratives are quickly forming around the moral need for air conditioning rollouts – despite AC units being costly, energy intensive, and making urban heat worse.
This all has knock-on consequences. Recently published UK-wide survey research shows that less than half of respondents (46%) said they felt ‘well-informed’ about heat risks. Very few felt that national (27%) and local governments (18%) were doing a ‘good job’ of communicating heat risks, and 20% said they lacked confidence in the accuracy of media coverage (37% were unsure).
Communicating better about heat
To help improve this disjointed landscape, here are three key suggestions:
1 – Heat communications must draw on social research. Studies show a very wide range of factors influence our actions and vulnerabilities when it comes to heat. From our belief about the risks, to where we live, to our cultural heritage, and the actions of our friends and family – these factors all play a role in shaping heat-related behaviour. Taking stock of these influences, alongside an awareness of the unequal impacts of heat, is necessary to inform better communication approaches. Social research also highlights the need for active, inclusive engagement that goes beyond one-way messaging (e.g. locally-led projects to increase tree cover, or community decision making about heat-resilient neighbourhoods).
2 – A focus on advance preparation is sorely needed. Preparation for heat should occur “all year round”, but typically UK risks aren’t treated in this way, with media coverage spiking as the heat takes hold. A review of heatwave research found an overwhelming focus on ‘protective actions’ (e.g. using a fan or drinking water to stay cool during heatwaves), rather than ‘preparative actions’ (e.g. installing shutters and blinds, or improving shading). This is despite the latter typically bringing benefits for more than one person, by reducing household vulnerability. Instead of an overemphasis on short-term coping, we need to build longer-term heat resilience.
3 – Effort is needed to address heat perception gaps. There are well known vulnerability gaps when it comes to climate impacts. Research by the British Red Cross found that “those most vulnerable to the effects of extreme weather often have the lowest awareness of their risk and the least knowledge of how to prepare”. Similar ‘perception gaps’ have been found in relation to heat impacts. For instance, people tend to believe they are less vulnerable to heat impacts than others in their community. Many in the UK look forward to heatwaves, despite the risks. And more than a third think heatwaves will only be a problem for the UK in the future. Tackling perception gaps like these could help unlock community preparedness.
Better communication alone is not enough. This must go hand-in-hand with policy changes, regulation, planning, and coordination. But with extreme heat a “new normal”, the way governments, community leaders and the media communicate about extreme heat matters now more than ever.
The more that social research insights are taken onboard, ultimately the more lives could be saved.