Met Office: exceptionally hot, dry and sunny July

New provisional climate statistics out today from the Met Office reveal that July has broken or challenged multiple records for heat, rainfall and sunshine in various parts of the UK, with Southern England particularly affected. Responding for Friends of the Earth, head of campaigns Rosie Downes, said:

"July's record-breaking heat, sunshine and dry conditions will come as no surprise to those of us who've endured yet more stifling temperatures in the last month, stemmed our water use as drought sets in, or even fled dangerous and deadly wildfires.

"Calling these statistics a wakeup call would be a gross understatement - that horse bolted a long time ago. We've long known that communities and our environment pay the highest price from climate inaction. With the UK on course for record levels of heat-related deaths this summer and our natural world in sharp decline, we're seeing this play out in real time.

"Alongside cutting emissions and accelerating the transition to clean, homegrown renewable energy, we urgently need a stronger National Adaptation Plan to help the UK prepare for the increasingly extreme weather we can be sure to expect as the planet warms."

ENDS