Periods of unusually hot weather in the summer of 2022
The UK's largest island, Great Britain, seen from the International Space Station on 12 August 2022 showing clear skies and dry ground
The 2022 United Kingdom heatwaves were part of several heatwaves across Europe and North Africa. The United Kingdom experienced three heatwaves; the first was for three days in June, the second for three days in July, and the third for six days in August. These were periods of unusually hot weather caused by rising high pressure up from the European continent. There were also more grass fires and wildfires than average, and in August a drought was declared in many regions.
The Met Office issued its first red warning for extreme heat on 8 July, which affected all of central and southern England and was in place for 18 and 19 July.[1] On 15 July, it declared a national emergency after the red warning was put in place. On 19 July, a record temperature of 40.3°C (104.5°F) was recorded and verified by the Met Office in Coningsby, England, breaking the previous record set in 2019 of 38.7°C (101.7°F) in Cambridge, England.[2] The heatwaves caused substantial disruption to transport.
32.7°C (90.9°F), recordedat Santon Downham, Suffolkon 17 June
On the three days from 15 June to 17 June, temperatures in Kew, London, reached at least 28°C (82°F), the official heatwave threshold at that location for that time of year.[4] On 17 June, a high of 32.7°C (90.9°F) was recorded in Santon Downham, Suffolk.[4]
A level two heat-health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency to cover the East Midlands and south-west on 15 June.[5] A level three alert was issued for London and South East England the following day.[6]
The heatwave ended on 18 June, as temperatures fell by an average of 10–15°C (18–27°F). A "huge cluster" of thunderstorms moved across the UK, prompting the Met Office to issue a yellow warning for lightning for Southern England (lightning warnings had only been issued on three previous occasions). It was also reported that the UK could experience up to a further four heatwaves over the summer, and weather experts had called for heatwaves to be given names in the same way that winter storms are named.[7][8][unreliable source?][9]
Impact on resorts
Crowds arrived at swimming pools, parks, seaside destinations in the south and east of England early in the morning of 17 June.[10][5] Seafront car parks at Bournemouth, Dorset, were said to be full by midday.[5]
On 8 July, the Met Office issued a heat-health alert warning that there was a 90% probability of level 3 alert criteria being met in parts of England on 9 July.[13][needs update] On 12 July, the Met Office issued an amber extreme-heat warning for 17 July, which was extended from 17 to 19 July. It was stated that the high temperatures could extend into the following week.[14] By 13 July, the water levels at the Thruscross Reservoir fell low enough to reveal the ruins of West End, a village which was flooded when the reservoir was built in 1966.[15]
On 15 July, the UKHSA increased the Heatwave Alert Level to 4, "illness and death occurring among the fit and healthy – and not just in high-risk groups".[16] The Met Office issued its first ever red extreme-heat warning after there were forecasts of over 40°C (104°F) in some parts of England, and a national emergency was declared.[17] The warning was in place from 18 to 19 July, with most of England being affected.[18]
The amber extreme-heat warning was extended to cover Cornwall, west Wales and parts of southern Scotland.[19] A number of schools announced they would either close or allow pupils to wear PE kit in place of their school uniform on the hottest days.[20]
On 17 July, the first day of the amber warning, the highest temperature recorded was 33°C (91°F) in Hawarden, Wales. The highest temperature in England was 32°C (90°F) in Nantwich, and the highest in Scotland was 26.4°C (79.5°F) in Auchincruive. Northern Ireland reached 27.7°C (81.9°F) in Armagh.[21]
On 18 July, the first day of the red warning, temperatures reached 38.1°C (100.6°F) in Santon Downham, Suffolk. Wales broke its record for the highest recorded temperature, with 37.1°C (98.8°F) recorded in Hawarden.[22] The Channel Islands had a new record temperature as 38°C (100°F) was recorded in St Helier.[23] The highest temperature in Scotland was 31.3°C (88.3°F) in Aboyne, and the highest in Northern Ireland was 31.1°C (88.0°F) in Derrylin.[24] Cornwall reached 34.2°C (93.6°F) in Bude, breaking the county's record of 33.9°C (93.0°F) set during the 1976 British Isles heatwave.[25]
Between 18 and 19 July, the United Kingdom experienced its highest recorded minimum nighttime temperature, at 26.8°C (80.2°F) at Shirburn Model Farm, Oxfordshire.[26] This is an increase of 2.9 °C from the previous record, set in Brighton in August 1990.[27] Temperatures in many other parts of the country did not fall below 25°C (77°F), giving the UK its warmest tropical night on record.[28]
On 19 July, a temperature of 40.3°C (104.5°F) was recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, the hottest temperature ever recorded in the United Kingdom.[29] Before that day, the previous record of 38.7°C (101.7°F) was recorded in Cambridge during the 2019 European heatwaves. This record was broken in at least 34 places across England on 19 July, six of which were over 40 °C, the Met Office reported,[30] stating that "the UK's recent extreme heat was far more intense and widespread than previous comparable heatwaves".[31] Many locations broke their previous record temperatures by large margins; for example, Durham reached 36.9°C (98.4°F), breaking its previous record of 32.9°C (91.2°F) by 4.0 °C.[32] Scotland had its highest temperature ever after 34.8°C (94.6°F) was recorded at Charterhall,[2] breaking the record of 32.9°C (91.2°F) recorded during the 2003 European heatwave.[29]Aysgarth Falls, a popular waterfall in the Yorkshire Dales, almost completely dried up after the high temperatures and no rainfall in the area for many weeks.[33]
British minister Kit Malthouse told parliament that at least 13 people died in water-related incidents during the heatwave and that at least 41 properties were destroyed in London and more than a dozen elsewhere in Britain.[34]
Impact
Transport
Temperature control systems and foil insulation added to Hammersmith Bridge, London, to prevent heat damage
On 18 July, all flights at Luton Airport were suspended after the high temperatures led to a surface defect on one of the runways.[22] Flights out of the airport resumed at 17:40, more than two hours after they stopped just after 15:00.[39] The RAF halted all flights in and out of RAF Brize Norton, the largest RAF station in the UK, because the 'runway melted'.[40] The rail temperature in Suffolk hit 62°C (144°F), which was the highest-ever recorded rail temperature in the UK.[41]
Roads across the country began to melt as surface temperatures exceeded 54°C (129°F) in Lincolnshire.[43] Among these roads was the A14, which was closed westbound between J36 and J35 for hours after a part of the road "rose and then cracked".[44] A part of the A11 was closed both ways after there was damage to one of the lanes.[45]
Retail
A corner shop in Scunthorpe lost around £1,000 worth of goods when its entire stock of chocolate melted during the heatwave.[46]
Major supermarkets in London reported having sold-out of bottled water, ice cream, and ice lollies during the heatwave, and increased sales of paddling pools and burgers.[47]Waitrose reported a 36 per cent year on year increase in the sales of ice cream.[47]John Lewis reported a 709 per cent year on year increase in sales of fans and air conditioning units.[47]Iceland reported 16 July 2022 as its best ever day for ice cream sales, at 12 per cent above its previous highest day, which was in 2019.[48] Ice cream parlours struggled to meet the increase in demand.[48]
Luxury chocolate products retailer, Hotel Chocolat, suspended their delivery service because of the hot weather.[47]
Berry farming
There was an impact on berry farming as hot weather increases the demand for them, and good weather helps farmers to meet that demand as berries ripen quicker.[47] Farmers dropped the prices of strawberries and cherries as bumper crops, about 10-15 per cent more than usual, were produced during the heatwave.[49] Low rainfall and prolonged sunshine in Kent, Herefordshire, Lancashire, and Norfolk provided excellent growing conditions, promoting the strong growth of ripe sweet berries.[49]
Between 10 and 13 July there was an average increase of 15 per cent in the number of visitors to seaside resorts compared to the previous year.[50]
Utilities
On 25 July, Bloomberg News reported that South East London had narrowly avoided experiencing a blackout on 20 July, after the increase in demand for electricity caused by the hot weather.[51] It was prevented by the National Grid purchasing electricity from Belgium at the highest price the UK had ever paid. They were reported to have paid £9,724 per megawatt hour, 5,000% more than the typical price.[52]
Aftermath
Weather forecasters from the BBC, Met Office and the Royal Meteorological Society were subjected to online abuse and questioned validity over their coverage of the heatwave, most prompted by reports that linked it to climate change.[53]
On 19 July, steep lapse rates in the mid troposphere associated with the plume of hot air led to the development of a line of elevated dry thunderstorms that initiated along a cold front, affecting mostly southern England, progressing eastwards throughout the day and overnight. These storms produced very little precipitation, with accumulations of just 1-2mm in places.[54] This, combined with frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and tinder dry vegetation, created additional fire hazards. Several thousand lightning strikes were detected,[55] causing at least one residential fire.[56]
On 3 August, Marks and Spencer announced that it would stop selling disposable barbecues "to help protect open spaces and reduce the risk of fires". Their decision followed calls by London Fire Brigade for retailers to stop selling them.[57] Along with Aldi and Waitrose, who stopped in March over concern about the impact of their use on the environment, Sainsbury's and Tesco joined the list of supermarkets to stop selling disposable barbecues on 11 August,[58] and were followed by Morrisons and the Co-op the next day.[59]
Another heatwave began on 9 August. An amber extreme-heat weather warning for most of England and Wales was put in place, as well as a level 3 heat health alert for central and southern England and a level 2 alert for northern England.[60]
In August, Tom Morgan, a Met Office meteorologist, said that "temperatures will not go as high as they did during July" but will last over "a prolonged period" with "temperatures in the low-30s".[61] On 8 August the UK Health Security Agency issued a level 3 heat health alert for central and southern England effective from 9 to 13 August, which was later extended to 14 August.[62][63]
The highest temperature recorded in the UK on 11 August was 34.2°C (93.6°F) in Wiggonholt, West Sussex. The London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner said that in the first week of August 2021 they attended 42 grassland and wildland fires, whilst in the same week in 2022 they attended 340, an increase of over 700%.[64]
On 13 August, a set of safety barriers on the A63 road at South Cave buckled in the heat, less than a year after being installed the previous winter.[65] A station near Crawley in West Sussex recorded 34.9°C (94.8°F), the highest temperature of the heatwave.[66]
The highest temperature on 14 August was 34.1°C (93.4°F), recorded in Charlwood, Surrey.[67]
Although 14 August was the final day of the extremely hot weather, temperatures remained above the seasonal average into the following day. On 15 August, heavy rain and thunderstorms moved across the UK. The Met Office issued three days of weather alerts for 15, 16 and 17 August, warning of a risk of flash flooding in some areas.[69] An amber weather warning for thunderstorms was issued for parts of south-west England, covering most of Devon and parts of Cornwall and Somerset.[70]
Torrential rain and thunderstorms brought flash flooding to parts of London and South East England on 17 August.[71] The heavy rain also resulted in raw sewage being discharged into the sea in some places after sewers overflowed. A number of pollution warnings were in place for beaches in England and Wales.[72]
Impact
Retail
There was another increase in ice cream sales, during the August heatwave, with the smaller retailers having challenges meeting the demand.[73]
Gardening
Because of the prolonged hot weather, gardeners reported an increased ability to grow plants that would usually have difficulty flourishing in the UK, such as figs and avocados.[74]
The Met Office said rainfall between January and June 2022 was the lowest since 1976, giving England its driest start to the year for 46 years.[75] It was confirmed that England had experienced its driest July since 1935, with parts of the country having the least rainfall on record. The south east and central southern England had the driest July since records began in 1836, with an average of 5.0mm rainfall.[76]
On 26 July, and with water supplies beginning to run low, the National Drought Group met to discuss a strategy for dealing with the conditions. Although the group stopped short of declaring a drought, it was reported the UK's water companies had started to put the early stages of their drought policies into motion by urging people to conserve water.[77] On 29 July, Southern Water became the first water company to introduce a hosepipe ban. The measure, affecting Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, was scheduled to come into force from 5 August.[78] Following a prolonged dry spell in South East England, on 3 August South East Water announced a temporary hosepipe ban for Kent and Sussex from 12 August.[79][80] On 4 August Welsh Water announced a hosepipe ban for Pembrokeshire and parts of Carmarthenshire, which had experienced their driest summer since 1976, commencing on 19 August.[81] On 7 August, with another heatwave expected to occur in the coming days, George Eustace, the Secretary of State for the Environment, urged water companies to impose further hosepipe bans.[82] On 9 August Thames Water announced plans to introduce a hosepipe ban for its 15 million customers;[83] the ban was subsequently confirmed to begin on 24 August.[84] On 12 August, Yorkshire Water became the fifth water company to announce a hosepipe ban, which will come into place on 26 August. It is their first hosepipe ban in 27 years.[85]
On 23 April, a large wildfire broke out on Canford Heath in Dorset.[91] Twenty homes were evacuated,[92] and an area of roughly 16.7 hectares (41 acres) was burnt.[93][94] Dozens of animals were reported killed, and Dorset Wildlife Trust said that it would take 15 years for the heath to be restored.[95] On 25 April, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service investigators said that the fire was started deliberately.[96][97] On 14 May yet another fire broke out on the heath.[98] On 22 May, a third fire broke out. The fire service confirmed that it was once again due to "human intervention".[99]
On 11 July, three wildfires began at Salisbury Plain partly due to live firing exercises, which merged to make two large fires. All fires were eventually put out on 14 July, after the help of a helicopter.[100] The largest of the fires affected around 750ha (1,900 acres).[101] By the side of the A61 road north of Ripon, a blaze in a crop field affected traffic as smoke went across the road.[102] A wildfire at a solar farm near Verwood, Dorset damaged some solar panels and spread to around 15,000m2 (3.7 acres; 1.5ha).[103] A grass fire on Monkstone Beach, between Tenby and Saundersfoot, burned about 10ha (25 acres) of undergrowth.[104]
On 14 July, a fire near Baschurch burnt around 24ha (59 acres) of straw, hay and hedgerows.[107] On 15 July, there was a large fire near Rowton Castle.[108] Between 15 and 18 July, there were ten wildfires across Shropshire.[109]
On 17 July, a fire started in an area of grassland in Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, which spread to a some houses. A total of 26 homes were evacuated and one house was badly damaged, with other house's sheds and garden fences also being burnt.[110] A large field fire began beside the M11 motorway near Littlebury, which burnt 400 acres (160ha) and had 15 fire crews at the scene.[111]
On 19 July, the London Fire Brigade (LFB) declared a major incident due to the number of fires across London, being one of 15 areas around the country to do so. The LFB had its busiest day since World War Two, receiving 2,670 calls compared to its normal 350 calls a day. 16 firefighters suffered heat-related injuries, two of which were hospitalised. A total of 41 properties were destroyed by fires, as well as many cars.[113] Most were grass fires, and the LFB urged the public not to hold barbecues or bonfires, and to only dial 999 during an emergency or an immediate risk to life.[114]
A large grass fire began near Wennington, London, which quickly spread to the village and destroyed 19 homes, twelve stables, five cars and more than 20ha (49 acres) of grassland.[113] A grassland wildfire in Dagenham spread to houses, destroying 14 and damaging others, with the additional loss of pets and cars.[115][116] Another fire broke out next to the A2 on Dartford Heath near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green, Kent.[117] The local Spirits Rest Dartford Horse and Animal Sanctuary was heavily damaged.[118] A large grass fire began by the M25 on Pea Lane in Upminster, causing smoke to billow across the motorway.[119] A grass fire broke out near Bradgate Hill, Groby.[120] 240 firefighters from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service dealt with a large fire near Cheshunt.[121] In South Yorkshire, a wildfire destroyed homes in Sprotbrough. There were also major fires in the Hatfield and Rossington areas.[122] Grassland on New Brighton waterfront in Merseyside caught fire.[123] In Cornwall, wildfire spread through fields near Zennor and Nare Head.[124][125] In Norfolk the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service declared a major incident after being called to more than 70 reports in a day, including two house fires.[126] Around 33ha (82 acres) of land was burnt by a fire at Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk.[127] In Ashmanhaugh, two semi-detached properties were destroyed by a fire.[128] A field fire in Poringland spread to three homes, two of which were destroyed.[129] A crop field fire, which covered about 2ha (4.9 acres), forced the A47 road to close until 7 p.m..[130] Five properties in Brancaster Staithe were destroyed by a large field fire.[131] About 20 homes were either destroyed or badly damaged in Ashill when a fire in a neighbouring field got out of control.[132]
On 24 July, a third wildfire started in Hankley Common, Surrey, burning at least 8ha (20 acres) of land; it was declared a major incident. A fire in Hayes affected the visibility at Heathrow Airport's runways due to the smoke.[133][134]
On 5 August, a wildfire broke out on Upton Heath in Dorset.[135] Investigators believe the fire was started deliberately.[136] The same day, a wildfire broke out on playfields in nearby Weymouth.[137]
On 7 August, a wildfire burned woodland and damaged the rears of properties in Hereford Road in Feltham, West London.[141]London Fire Brigade said crews had managed to stop flames spreading to about 30 homes.[142]
On 8 August, seven fire engines, six off-road vehicles and a water carrier attended a fire which began on a farm near Houghton, West Sussex. It burned a total of 150ha (370 acres) of crops and stubble.[143] A fire burned a cornfield near Winterborne Stickland, Dorset, which affected 7.4 acres (3.0ha) of corn.[144]
On 9 August, a grass fire began in Enfield, London, which damaged about 5ha (12 acres) of grassland.[145] A gorse fire began on Rushmere Heath on the edge of Ipswich, which burned about 1.5ha (3.7 acres).[146] A fire near Fishbourne, West Sussex destroyed around 20ha (49 acres) of grassland,[147] whilst another in Walberton covering 6.1ha (15 acres) forced a nearby care home to be evacuated.[148]
On 11 August, two separate field fires at Turners Hill destroyed around 16ha (40 acres) of grassland.[150]
On 12 August, a large fire began on Studland Heath, which resulted in evacuations and forced the suspension of the Sandbanks Ferry. At its height, 90 firefighters were fighting the blaze, and evidence of a campfire and a disposable barbecue were found in the ashes. The ferry was used to get people off the beach in Studland, and to transport firefighting vehicles from the other side.[151][152] The fire was extinguished on 15 August after burning about 5ha (12 acres) of National Trust nature reserve.[153] In Broomfield, Essex, a fire burnt 37ha (91 acres).[154] A wildfire in a field threatened homes in Barne Barton in Plymouth, Devon.[155] Two wildfires broke out in Cornwall, one in Camborne[156] and another alongside the A30 road near Redruth.[157]
On 13 August, three gardens were damaged in Harlow after a fire burnt 15ha (37 acres) of grass and affected some overhead cables.[154] In Watford, a caravan park was evacuated after 20ha (49 acres) of fields, hedgerows and trees burned close to an industrial estate which houses the headquarters of UK National Lottery operator Camelot Group.[158]
On 14 August, Mark Hardingham, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), said that the hot and dry conditions in 2022 had resulted in a 200% increase in the number of wildfires compared to the previous year. There were 247 wildfires in 2021, and 745 in 2022 as of 14 August.[160]
Climatologists linked the extreme heat to the impact of climate change, and experts predict that changes in the jet stream as a result of climate change will cause heatwaves with increasing frequency in Europe.[165][166] Furthermore, due to the jet stream, the increase in heatwaves for European countries is three-to-four times higher than other countries in northern mid-latitudes, such as the United States.[167][168]
Provisional figures published by the Met Office on 1 September 2022 indicated England had experienced its joint hottest summer during 2022, with an average temperature of 17.1°C during June, July and August. This was comparable with the summer of 2018.[169]
Media coverage
Social media misinformation and conspiracy theories compared the July heatwave to the 1976 heatwave, and claimed that the effect of both were exaggerated. The maximum temperature in 2022 exceeded 1976's peak temperature of 35.9°C (96.6°F). BBC News reported that "suggestions that there is nothing unusual about this heatwave appear to have found a willing audience among climate change sceptics".[170] An image circulated on social media claiming that the colour scale of new-style Met Office forecast maps had been "designed to look like fear and destruction",[171] with the meteorologist who had created the map's colour scales saying that although the scale had been altered in 2021 for the benefit of colour blind viewers, the image being shared had been doctored to exaggerate this.[172]
Writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, journalist Jon Allsop criticised right-leaning British publications in particular for downplaying and detracting from the effects on the hottest days before covering them more seriously following the series of wildfires. He analysed American media coverage and determined it to be heavily focused on the United Kingdom despite heatwaves elsewhere in Europe, the United States and the Global South due to inequity and the image of a "cold and wet Britain". Allsop also found that, while climate change has had more attention in stories on the heatwave, media exploration of its role and impact is still limited and lacking.[174]
Analysis
On 7 October 2022, a joint report published by the Office for National Statistics and UK Health Security Agency indicated there had been 3,000 more deaths in England and Wales than would usually be expected during the summer, the highest number of excessive deaths since 2004. The report indicated that most of the extra deaths occurred in those aged over 65, and in the hottest days towards the end of July.[175] Further studies show that over-65s made up 88% of the excess deaths recorded during the hottest days towards the end of July.[176] Heatwave-related excess deaths in the over-65s age group have increased by 146% since 2017.[177]
Met Office data published on 14 October 2022 indicated that temperature records were broken at 56 of the UK's 109 oldest weather stations during the July heatwave.[178]
On 5 January 2023, the Met Office confirmed that 2022 was the UK's warmest year since records began in 1884, with an average annual temperature above 10°C (50°F) for the first time.[179]
A period of unusually hot summer weather occurred in the British Isles during the summer of 1976. At the same time, there was a severe drought on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. It was one of the driest, sunniest and warmest summers (June/July/August) in the 20th century, although the summer of 1995 is now regarded as the driest. Only a few places registered more than half their average summer rainfall. In the Central England temperature record, it was the warmest summer in the series until being surpassed in the 21st century. It was the warmest summer in the Aberdeen area since at least 1864, and the driest summer since 1868 in Glasgow.
The United Kingdom weather records show the most extreme weather ever recorded in the United Kingdom, such as temperature, wind speed, and rainfall records. Reliable temperature records for the whole of the United Kingdom go back to about 1880.
The United Kingdom heatwave of 1911 was a particularly severe heatwave and associated drought. Records were set around the country for temperature in England, including the highest accepted temperature, at the time, of 36.7 °C (98.1 °F), only broken 79 years later in the 1990 heatwave, which reached 37.1 °C (98.8 °F). A temperature of 100 °F (38 °C) was recorded at Greenwich in a Glaisher stand and was regarded as the record but further data from a Stevenson screen in the same location showed the temperature to be 96.6 °F (35.9 °C). The highest ever accepted temperature is currently 40.3 °C (104.5 °F) recorded on 19th July 2022 on a Royal Air Force station in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Weather in Northern Europe was also affected around about this time.
The 2013 heatwave in the United Kingdom and Ireland was a period of unusually hot weather primarily in July 2013, with isolated warm days in June and August. A prolonged high pressure system over Great Britain and Ireland caused higher than average temperatures for 19 consecutive days in July, reaching 33.5 °C (92.3 °F) at Heathrow and Northolt.
The 1995 British Isles heatwave occurred between late July and late August. It was part of one of the warmest summers recorded in the UK, and one of the warmest Augusts ever recorded in many locations around the UK, as well as being one of the driest summers ever recorded in the UK; many weather stations recorded the summer of 1995 as drier than, or comparable with, the summer of 1976. Ireland was also widely affected by the heatwave with temperatures reaching over 30 °C (86 °F) in some locations, as well as exceptionally low rainfall throughout the summer.
Starting on 24 June 2018 and continuing throughout the summer, a record-breaking series of wildfires burned across the United Kingdom. The two largest fires, which were declared major incidents, burned over 7 square miles each and broke out on Saddleworth Moor in Greater Manchester and Winter Hill in Lancashire. Other large fires broke out in Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, Epping Forest, in London and in the Vale of Rheidol in Ceredigion, Wales. The Saddleworth Moor fire has been described as the largest English wildfire in living memory. Most of the wildfires occurred during the first official heatwave in the United Kingdom since June 2017, with temperatures reaching above 30 °C (86 °F) for several days, making the hottest June in the country since 1995, and the driest June for over ten years in large parts of the United Kingdom, exacerbating the crisis. A wildfire started on the Staffordshire Moorlands on 9 August and, despite rain, had spread to cover 219 acres by 11 August. Some hot spots were still burning as at 22 August. In total, there were 79 fires over the course of the year, a new record. However, the record was beaten in 2019 with 96 fires as of April 23.
The 2018 Britain and Ireland heatwave was a period of unusually hot weather that took place in June, July and August. It caused widespread drought, hosepipe bans, crop failures, and a number of wildfires. These wildfires worst affected northern moorland areas around the Greater Manchester region, the largest was at Saddleworth Moor and another was at Winter Hill, together these burned over 14 square miles (36 km2) of land over a period of nearly a month.
The 2018 European drought and heat wave was a period of unusually hot weather that led to record-breaking temperatures and wildfires in many parts of Europe during the spring and summer of 2018. It is part of a larger heat wave affecting the northern hemisphere, caused in part by the jet stream being weaker than usual, allowing hot high-pressure air to linger in the same place. According to the European Drought Observatory, most of the areas affected by drought are across northern and central Europe. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the severe heat waves across the northern hemisphere in the summer of 2018, are linked to climate change in Europe, as well as events of extreme precipitation.
2019 United Kingdom wildfires were a series of wildfires that began on 26 February 2019 and ended on 18 May 2019. The series of wildfires was considered unusual due to the fact that they took place early in the year. Areas affected by the wildfires in 2019 included those that had already been burnt by wildfires during the summer of 2018. The fires have created many air pollution problems for the UK. The causes of most of the fires have been attributed to much higher than average temperatures and drought conditions that have prevailed since the spring of 2018. There were 137 wildfires larger than 25 hectares (250,000 m2) recorded in the United Kingdom in 2019. This beats the previous record of 79 from 2018.
In late June and late July 2019 there were two temporally distinct European heat waves, which set all-time high temperature records in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
The 2021 Britain and Ireland heat wave was a period of unusually hot weather in July 2021 that led to record-breaking temperatures in the UK and Ireland.
In 2022, several areas of the world experienced heat waves. Heat waves were especially notable in East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Australia, western Europe, the United States, and southern South America. 2022 heat waves accounted for record-breaking temperatures and, in some regions, heat-related deaths. Heat waves were worsened by the effects of climate change, and they exacerbated droughts and wildfires.
From June to August 2022, persistent heatwaves affected parts of Europe, causing evacuations and killing tens of thousands. These heat waves were the deadliest meteorological events in 2022. The highest temperature recorded was 47.0 °C (116.6 °F) in Pinhão, Portugal, on 14 July.
2020s in climate history refers to major events pertaining to the climate, this includes extreme weather, as well as new scientific phenomena and occurrences which pertain to the climate. This article will be structured by category of data, and then chronologically within those broader sections.
During the summer of 2022, parts of Europe experienced drought conditions exacerbated by heat waves. This was preceded by a warm and dry spring. On 9 August, a senior European Commission researcher said that it seemed to be Europe's worst year in 500 years. A report from the Global Drought Observatory has confirmed this. The drought had serious consequences for hydropower generation and the cooling systems of nuclear power plants, as the drought reduced the amount of river water available for cooling. Agriculture in Europe was also negatively affected by the drought. Scientists found that while precipitation deficits primarily caused the lack of water in the soil, human-induced global warming contributed to over 30% of the drought intensity and its spatial extent via enhanced evaporation.
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The Wennington wildfire was a wildfire that took place in Wennington, east London, on 19 July 2022 during the 2022 United Kingdom heatwave. No-one was killed, but the wildfire destroyed about 18–19 houses, including all the possessions of many residents. One resident said her house burned down "within two minutes".
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