The 2022 heatwaves: England’s response and future preparedness for heat risk
The authors highlight the barriers that must be overcome to safeguard the UK against heatwaves and provides recommendations for what the government and local authorities need to prioritise. Extreme heat is a relatively new challenge for the UK. The 2022 heatwaves provide an opportunity to evaluate England’s response and resilience to extreme heat events.
The research shows that Government needs joined up thinking when it comes to managing extreme heat in the UK and needs to make large scale changes to policy beyond the newly published UKHSA Adverse Weather and Health plan and consider impacts and responses beyond health across society, if we are going to avoid excess deaths, shocks to the economy and breakdown in public services in this and future summers.