Extreme heat alert: Gresham College Professor warns ‘This is not a drill’

The Met Office has issued a rare red warning for extreme heat, saying temperatures could reach 40ºC in parts of southern England and Wales later this week.

This could lead to the failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, the loss of power, and disruption to services such as water, electricity, gas, and mobile phone services. Those vulnerable to extreme heat may fall ill as a result.

The peak of the heatwave is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to 38°C, but could go higher. While temperatures will drop, they will still be higher than seasonal averages going into the weekend, and the hot weather is expected to continue into next week.

The situation will be compounded by nighttime temperatures not dropping below 20ºC, and the days being humid.

The Met Office is expecting that this June will be the hottest on record, beating 35.6°C which was recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and Camden Square in June 1957. It also warns that it is virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and intensity of extreme heat events.

Professor Helen Czerski, the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment at Gresham College, has highlighted the heatwave in posts on the social media network Bluesky, warning “This is not a drill”.

“The Met Office has issued a red warning for parts of the UK this week. That means that you *should not* expect to carry on your normal activities. There is a real danger of power supplies & transport failing. Plan now,” she wrote.

“Everyone I speak to who works in this area is so worried that these risks are not being taken seriously enough. It's not "just summer". It's potentially lethal.”

Over this past year, she has delivered six lectures in her series Notes from a Large Planet: a Citizen’s Guide to the Earth. 

She also highlighted a BBC Radio 4 programme she made that reflected on the context and implications of extreme heat. It can be listened to on BBC Sounds

Come prepared for the Sir Thomas Gresham lecture on Tuesday, 23 June

The annual Sir Thomas Gresham lecture is to be held in Conway Hall on Tuesday, 23 June.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili will speak on the theme On The Nature of Time According to Modern Physics, an exploration of some of the questions posed by physicists as they seek to understand the nature of the universe.

The venue does not have air conditioning and audience members are encouraged to bring water with them.