UK heatwave forces climate event cancellation, prompts 45°C warning

A red extreme‑heat warning issued by the Met Office forced the cancellation of a climate‑adaptation conference at the London School of Economics. The event, organised by the Grantham Research Institute and the Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance, was to discuss "Improving Governance and Strengthening Action Around the World" but halted because temperatures were projected to approach 40 °C in London, a level not seen in the UK for decades.

Scientists warned that such heatwaves are becoming a public‑health emergency. Professor Friederike Otto of Imperial College highlighted the health risks to children, the elderly and vulnerable patients, while Professor Stephen Belcher of the Met Office warned that future scenarios could see temperatures reach 45 °C in England by 2056. The Met Office’s 1976‑anniversary scenario predicts prolonged heat events lasting two weeks with nine consecutive days above 40 °C, threatening infrastructure, transport, energy and water supplies.

The heatwave underscores the broader climate crisis, with experts linking the extreme temperatures to human‑induced warming, heat‑domes over western Europe and amplified risks from future El Niño events.