A new report from the Environmental Audit Committee said that the number of deaths during heatwaves could rise to 10,000 annually “without concerted action to adapt to the warming climate.”
London hit 40°C for the first time in 2022 which led to more than 4,500 people dying that summer due to high UK temperatures.
The capital can rise to 8°C higher than surrounding rural areas, leading to “Urban Heat Islands” which the report states could have accounted for 50% of the total heat-related mortality during the 2003 heatwave.
The Met Office reported that the chances of a summer matching the country’s hottest record could be greater than 50%. Professor Jason Lowe, Head of Climate Services at the Met Office, said under a high emissions scenario what is ‘still quite a rare event becomes, on average, every other summer’.
The MP’s report states these “silent killers” affect both the physical and mental health of the population, specifically the elderly and vulnerable.
High temperatures in London could exacerbate heart rate and blood pressure problems as well as “worsening side-effects of prescribed medication”. With mental health affected, the report states that the rate of suicide in the UK is twice as high when the temperatures rise from 22°C to 32°C.
A core issue of the report suggests that the heat resilience of London’s homes is inadequate, with the population spending on average 90% of its time indoors.
The scale of danger, according to the EAC, is “vast”: nearly 5 million homes in London are already suffering from overheating, with four out of five homes being built in 2050 the retrofitting required is extensive.
The Committee stated that nature-based passive cooling could be a solution to urban areas, such as parks, trees, water bodies and green infrastructure. The report calls for more fans in homes, window shutters and white-painted roofs to reflect the heat of the sun.
Pedalos in Hyde Park. Source: AP Photos.
The London Climate Resilience Review of 2024 has proposed planning for these future climate hazards in the Capital. Sadiq Khan suggested that if no action is taken by 2050 the UK’s national water supply will face a shortfall of nearly 4 billion litres a day, which will cost London’s economy an estimated £500m a day.
Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE, Chief Executive Officer, of Green Finance Institute, said: “Responding to events exacerbated by the climate crisis – such as flooding and drought – is costly and resource intensive. Mitigating these inevitable risks, by investing in adaptation and climate resilience, is the effective way to reduce the growing impact on Londoners both practically and economically.”
The MP’s report encourages access to low-cost retrofit finance for householders and new regulations to prevent buildings from overheating. They suggest the Met Office should start naming heatwaves, like storms, to further raise public awareness.
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HeadlineGovernment urged to prepare for ‘silent killer’ heatwaves, new report says London is unprepared for Global heating.
Short HeadlineMPs warn of 'silent killer' heatwaves for Londoners
StandfirstA cross-party group of MPs has warned the Government that the UK urgently needs a plan to prevent thousands of heatwave deaths.
A new report from the Environmental Audit Committee said that the number of deaths during heatwaves could rise to 10,000 annually “without concerted action to adapt to the warming climate.”
London hit 40°C for the first time in 2022 which led to more than 4,500 people dying that summer due to high UK temperatures.
The capital can rise to 8°C higher than surrounding rural areas, leading to “Urban Heat Islands” which the report states could have accounted for 50% of the total heat-related mortality during the 2003 heatwave.
The Met Office reported that the chances of a summer matching the country’s hottest record could be greater than 50%. Professor Jason Lowe, Head of Climate Services at the Met Office, said under a high emissions scenario what is ‘still quite a rare event becomes, on average, every other summer’.
The MP’s report states these “silent killers” affect both the physical and mental health of the population, specifically the elderly and vulnerable.
High temperatures in London could exacerbate heart rate and blood pressure problems as well as “worsening side-effects of prescribed medication”. With mental health affected, the report states that the rate of suicide in the UK is twice as high when the temperatures rise from 22°C to 32°C.
A core issue of the report suggests that the heat resilience of London’s homes is inadequate, with the population spending on average 90% of its time indoors.
The scale of danger, according to the EAC, is “vast”: nearly 5 million homes in London are already suffering from overheating, with four out of five homes being built in 2050 the retrofitting required is extensive.
The Committee stated that nature-based passive cooling could be a solution to urban areas, such as parks, trees, water bodies and green infrastructure. The report calls for more fans in homes, window shutters and white-painted roofs to reflect the heat of the sun.
Pedalos in Hyde Park. Source: AP Photos.
The London Climate Resilience Review of 2024 has proposed planning for these future climate hazards in the Capital. Sadiq Khan suggested that if no action is taken by 2050 the UK’s national water supply will face a shortfall of nearly 4 billion litres a day, which will cost London’s economy an estimated £500m a day.
Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas OBE, Chief Executive Officer, of Green Finance Institute, said: “Responding to events exacerbated by the climate crisis – such as flooding and drought – is costly and resource intensive. Mitigating these inevitable risks, by investing in adaptation and climate resilience, is the effective way to reduce the growing impact on Londoners both practically and economically.”
The MP’s report encourages access to low-cost retrofit finance for householders and new regulations to prevent buildings from overheating. They suggest the Met Office should start naming heatwaves, like storms, to further raise public awareness.