Britain must think like a hot country – otherwise inequalities will only grow

It may not always feel like it, but Britons are going to have to get used to living in a hot country. Temperatures are already 1.4C above the historic norm, and heading for a 2C rise in the next two decades.

Britain must think like a hot country – otherwise inequalities will only grow. It may not always feel like it, but Britons are going to have to get used to living in a hot country. Temperatures are already 1.4C above the historic norm, and heading for a 2C rise in the next two decades. This may not sound like much, but it will mean far higher temperatures in summer – heatwaves as high as 45C lasting for more than a week, dwarfing the previous record of 40C in 2022 – as well as more frequent droughts and severe flooding, according to a major report published on Wednesday. Every area of the UK, and nearly every aspect of the infrastructure that underpins our lives, will be affected - from transport and communication infrastructure to our housing, schools, hospitals and care homes. “The UK was built for a climate that no longer exists today...