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The Guardian
9 hours ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
The Guardian view on extreme weather: build national readiness – or let everyday life keep breaking down
Britain's four-day heatwave – made 100 times more likely by the climate crisis – is expected to claim about 600 lives. Researchers say high temperatures from Thursday to Sunday would lead to a sharp rise in excess mortality, especially among older people in cities such as London and Birmingham. They forecast the deadliest day as Saturday, with temperatures above 32C and about 266 deaths. These are not abstract figures, but lives cut short by a threat we understand, yet remain unprepared for. Young people seem to grasp this. In a YouGov poll last week, roughly a quarter of 18- to 24-year-olds said they hoped there wouldn't be a heatwave – while more than two-fifths of older people welcomed the sunshine. That generational split isn't just cultural. It reflects an entirely rational anxiety: younger people face a future living in a climate emergency. The generation that caused and benefited from the conditions driving global heating will be gone long before the worst costs – financial, environmental, social – have to be paid. The effects are already here. In 2022, almost a fifth of UK hospitals were forced to cancel operations during the three days when temperatures soared highest because NHS buildings could not cope with the heat. That was a summer of hosepipe bans and wildfires. A year later, floods caused by extreme rainfall contributed to a third of all UK train delays, according to campaigners at Round Our Way. From drought to downpour, climate chaos is driving up food prices – UK-farmed carrots and lettuce now cost a third more than two years ago. For Britons, climate breakdown is felt not in the disappearance of distant ice caps but postponed appointments, cancelled trains and bigger shopping bills. Britain, warn the government's own advisers on the Climate Change Committee, is not institutionally ready. There's no national adaptation budget, no cross-government plan and no clear account of what's even being spent. The recent spending review proves the point. While there is a modest rise in flood defence funding to £1.4bn a year, the Treasury ignored calls, notably from experts at the London School of Economics' Grantham Institute, for a joined-up approach, leaving key risks – health, infrastructure, food security – unfunded and uncoordinated. And the cost of doing nothing is mounting. The investigative campaigners Global Witness calculate that in 2025 UK households face a £3,000 bill in climate-related costs. But the solutions exist. The London Climate Resilience Review lays out the blueprint: heat plans, flood protection, NHS retrofits and early-warning systems. The review led to the capital conducting a disaster training exercise, Operation Helios, to test its readiness for extreme heat. Other metro mayors are looking at London as a model. According to Labour's manifesto, preparing for the future means Britain adapting to big shifts in climate and nature. There has been some positive change. The government's infrastructure strategy talks about climate resilience for new capital stock. But plans need funding, not just fine words. The UK requires a national adaptation budget, drawn together by central government but managed and transparently delivered locally. The Office for Budget Responsibility recognised during the pandemic that emergency spending on the climate was affordable. It still is. What's coming is no mystery. What works is already known. What's missing is the willingness at the heart of government to act in a purposeful way.
Wales Online
30-04-2025
- Climate
- Wales Online
Weather map turns red with warnings issued for Wales as 'worrying' trend emerges
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Hayfever sufferers in Wales are having to brace for itchy eyes and runny noses in the coming days. Allied to a potentially record-breaking spell of warm weather are forecasts for 'very high' pollen levels. Red warnings for pollen have been issued by the Met Office for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (April 29 to May 1), with amber 'high' alerts for Friday and Saturday (May 2-3). The forecaster expects significant levels of airborne oak pollen in Wales. Some Plane pollen is also circulating, though these trees are mostly concentrated in southern England. Both are common cause of allergic reactions, the latter especially in urban areas. In sensitive individuals, they can exacerbate asthma. With peak hayfever season fast approaching, searches for 'pollen count' have hit an average of 33,000-a-month. This is expected to rise significantly once grass pollen becomes established as this affects an estimated 95% of Britain's 10m-plus hayfever sufferers. Recent research suggests hayfever seasons are getting longer in Britain, with climate change increasing the number of days each year when conditions are ripe for the allergy. Temperature plays an important role in pollen release, with trees shedding pollen between 13C-15C and grass between 18C-28C, according to the Met Office. The theory is that warmer temperatures caused by climate change are leading to longer growing seasons for pollen-producing plants. The result is extended periods of allergy symptoms for sufferers. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Analysis supports this, showing that Britain saw a steadily increasing number of pollen-producing days between 1994 and 2024, with southern areas worst affected. The research was carried out by Round Our Way, a not-for-profit climate change company in the UK. (Image: Met Office) The organisation found that, since 1994, Wales has seen the annual pollen season lengthen by average of 19 days, the same as in Scotland. In England and northern Ireland, the figure was 20 days. Sofie Jenkinson, co-director of Round Our Way, said: 'Hayfever is becoming an almost year-round problem for sufferers in the UK. Longer hay fever seasons are just one of the health impacts Brits are facing as temperatures in the UK rise. 'As we all see around us, climate change is making Britain warmer and a lot wetter. We urgently need politicians to make sure we are better prepared for the worrying new weather we're facing and to tackle the pollution that is causing it.' Some research has shown that air pollution may make pollen grains more potent and so more likely to trigger an allergic reaction. Increased carbon dioxide levels may also enhance pollen production, making hayfever more severe. Pharmacist, Vikki Furneaux, 44, from York, believes the hayfever season is 'definitely longer and also more erratic'. She said: 'When I graduated, people took medication for around a two-month period but now they are less sure when the season is. 'Sufferers are also coming up against some of the cold and flu season and some of the symptoms are similar to hayfever, so it's more difficult to get on top of things. Some people are coming in with symptoms they didn't realise were hayfever.' For the three days until temperatures peak on Thursday (May 1), pollen levels are also expected to be 'very high' in the south and middle of England, and 'high' in northern England. Only in northern Scotland is relief possible, with levels mostly rated as 'low' this week. Counter-intuitively, a heatwave may help sufferers. The Met Office notes that pollen levels decrease if temperatures rise above 28C. If several warm days occur in a row, pollen supplies can run out altogether. UK temperatures are indeed forecast to exceed 28C this week, though probably not in Wales. For a heatwave to be officially declared in Wales, temperatures will need to exceed 25C on three successive days, which is not impossible in parts of the country this week. In the Border counties, the Met Office's three-day heatwave threshold is 26C. In London and surrounding counties, it's 28C. It can be easy to under-estimate the misery pollen brings: while a cold typically lasts for one to two weeks, hayfever can last for weeks or even months depending on pollen counts and season. Keeping an eye on the Met Office website for daily updates symptoms can help keep a lid on symptoms. Experts reckon the best time of day to get outdoors is around midday, as pollen counts are typically at their lowest. A good tip is to shower and change your clothes after being outdoors to rinse away trapped pollen. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox By the same reasoning, washing is often best dried indoors on high-pollen days as grass pollen can easily get onto clothes while drying outside. Closing windows in your house and car is another way to minimise exposure to pollen. Find the weather forecast where you live
North Wales Live
30-04-2025
- Health
- North Wales Live
Weather map turns red with warnings issued for Wales as 'worrying' trend emerges
Hayfever sufferers in Wales are having to brace for itchy eyes and runny noses in the coming days. Allied to a potentially record-breaking spell of warm weather are forecasts for 'very high' pollen levels. Red warnings for pollen have been issued by the Met Office for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (April 29 to May 1), with amber 'high' alerts for Friday and Saturday (May 2-3). The forecaster expects significant levels of airborne oak pollen in Wales. Some Plane pollen is also circulating, though these trees are mostly concentrated in southern England. Both are common cause of allergic reactions, the latter especially in urban areas. In sensitive individuals, they can exacerbate asthma. With peak hayfever season fast approaching, searches for 'pollen count' have hit an average of 33,000-a-month. This is expected to rise significantly once grass pollen becomes established as this affects an estimated 95% of Britain's 10m-plus hayfever sufferers. Recent research suggests hayfever seasons are getting longer in Britain, with climate change increasing the number of days each year when conditions are ripe for the allergy. Temperature plays an important role in pollen release, with trees shedding pollen between 13C-15C and grass between 18C-28C, according to the Met Office. The theory is that warmer temperatures caused by climate change are leading to longer growing seasons for pollen-producing plants. The result is extended periods of allergy symptoms for sufferers. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Analysis supports this, showing that Britain saw a steadily increasing number of pollen-producing days between 1994 and 2024, with southern areas worst affected. The research was carried out by Round Our Way, a not-for-profit climate change company in the UK. The organisation found that, since 1994, Wales has seen the annual pollen season lengthen by average of 19 days, the same as in Scotland. In England and northern Ireland, the figure was 20 days. Sofie Jenkinson, co-director of Round Our Way, said: 'Hayfever is becoming an almost year-round problem for sufferers in the UK. Longer hay fever seasons are just one of the health impacts Brits are facing as temperatures in the UK rise. 'As we all see around us, climate change is making Britain warmer and a lot wetter. We urgently need politicians to make sure we are better prepared for the worrying new weather we're facing and to tackle the pollution that is causing it.' Some research has shown that air pollution may make pollen grains more potent and so more likely to trigger an allergic reaction. Increased carbon dioxide levels may also enhance pollen production, making hayfever more severe. Pharmacist, Vikki Furneaux, 44, from York, believes the hayfever season is 'definitely longer and also more erratic'. She said: 'When I graduated, people took medication for around a two-month period but now they are less sure when the season is. 'Sufferers are also coming up against some of the cold and flu season and some of the symptoms are similar to hayfever, so it's more difficult to get on top of things. Some people are coming in with symptoms they didn't realise were hayfever.' For the three days until temperatures peak on Thursday (May 1), pollen levels are also expected to be 'very high' in the south and middle of England, and 'high' in northern England. Only in northern Scotland is relief possible, with levels mostly rated as 'low' this week. Counter-intuitively, a heatwave may help sufferers. The Met Office notes that pollen levels decrease if temperatures rise above 28C. If several warm days occur in a row, pollen supplies can run out altogether. UK temperatures are indeed forecast to exceed 28C this week, though probably not in Wales. For a heatwave to be officially declared in Wales, temperatures will need to exceed 25C on three successive days, which is not impossible in parts of the country this week. In the Border counties, the Met Office's three-day heatwave threshold is 26C. In London and surrounding counties, it's 28C. It can be easy to under-estimate the misery pollen brings: while a cold typically lasts for one to two weeks, hayfever can last for weeks or even months depending on pollen counts and season. Keeping an eye on the Met Office website for daily updates symptoms can help keep a lid on symptoms. Experts reckon the best time of day to get outdoors is around midday, as pollen counts are typically at their lowest. A good tip is to shower and change your clothes after being outdoors to rinse away trapped pollen. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox By the same reasoning, washing is often best dried indoors on high-pollen days as grass pollen can easily get onto clothes while drying outside. Closing windows in your house and car is another way to minimise exposure to pollen.
