A conference on extreme heat has been cancelled due to the unprecedented heatwave gripping London. The event, scheduled to take place at the London School of Economics' Shaw Library, was part of London Climate Action Week.
The cancellation was announced after the Met Office issued a rare red heat warning, only the second time in history. The warning was issued as temperatures reached record-breaking highs, with 35.7C recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, surpassing the previous record of 35.6C set in 1976.
The conference, titled "Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world," was set to feature the announcement of the first-ever winner of the Adeline Stuart-Watt Award for outstanding research contributions to climate adaptation. The award honors the legacy of Adeline Stuart-Watt, a respected policy fellow at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change.
The UK is facing its second record-breaking heatwave of the year, with the red weather warning in place across parts of southern England and Wales. The Met Office warns that the hot and humid weather will have significant impacts on the general population.
The heatwave has caused widespread disruptions, with over 1,000 schools closed or sending pupils home early, and Network Rail urging people to avoid travel where possible. Businesses, including Greggs branches, have also closed temporarily to protect customers and colleagues.
Experts warn that this pattern of regular heatwaves could become the norm due to climate change. One expert stated that the UK is in danger of "boiling over" as extreme heat becomes more common, citing that nearly all of the top 10 global and UK temperatures have occurred in the last 20 years.
