Heatwaves are hotter because of climate change
by Ci Davis
The 34.4 Celsius temperature recorded on 26th June at the Weston Park weather station was the highest June temperature recorded in Yorkshire. This surpassed one set in Huddersfield in 1941 by 1.3 degrees – a number so significant as to raise important questions about climate, climate change, and preparation for the future.
Some people suggest heatwaves, where normal temperatures are exceeded for three or more consecutive days (Met Office), are a ‘normal’ feature of the weather. They may describe ‘short-term’ hotter conditions as ‘natural’ phenomena and reject attempts to understand the recent weather with respect to climate, or certainly climate change, that I will show to intensify these events.
General view of low water levels in Woodhead Reservoir, Derbyshire, following the driest spring in England since 1893. The reservoir supplies water to Greater Manchester. June 15 2025. Credit: Alastair Johnstone-Hack / Climate Visuals
The current heatwaves, which are predicted to be repeated in July and August, offer an important opportunity to discuss the differences between weather, climate, climate change and preparation for the future.
Weather can be described as short-term atmospheric fluctuations and explains day-to-day phenomena such as rain, wind, or sunshine. In Britain, we value our variable and somewhat unpredictable weather, but we should not let that distract us from understanding what is happening to our climate.
Climate is the long-term weather trends, the average pattern in a region over a period of many years or decades. Weather and climate describe similar things (heat, cold, rain), but they underline very important differences; think of being in a bad mood compared to being depressed. When the climate trend is towards higher temperatures, there are important consequences for how people and the environment can flourish in an area.
Adaptation is the response to rising temperatures or increased rainfall, which is why there has been a debate in Sheffield as to whether schools should be closed or if students should attend in their PE kits rather than uniforms. If the trend is continuing upwards, then such simple measures will be inadequate and more significant steps will have to be considered, such as the provision of air-conditioning to all schools and workplaces. Therefore, changes in climate have considerable financial impacts as well as social costs, such as the large number of heat-related deaths across Europe this summer.
The global climate is changing; for the past three years, it has been around 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial times, and this makes heatwaves hotter and more frequent. Last week’s heatwave makes clear the need to rapidly reduce atmospheric pollution while preparing our city for considerably more heating.
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