Search results
The United Kingdom experienced three heatwaves; the first was for three days in June, the second for three days in July, and the third for six days in August. These were periods of unusually hot weather caused by rising high pressure up from the European continent.
- Physical Impacts
- Effects of The Heatwave
- Immediate Responses to The Heatwave
Low river flows and lake levels
The River Danube in Serbia fell to its lowest level in 100 years. Bombs and tanks from World War 2, which had been submerged under water for decades, were revealed, causing a danger to people swimming in the rivers. Reservoirs and rivers used for public water supply and hydro-electric schemes either dried up or ran extremely low.
Forest fires
The lack of rainfall meant very dry conditions occurred over much of Europe. Forest fires broke out in many countries. In Portugal 215,000 hectares area of forest were destroyed. This is an area the same size as Luxembourg. It is estimated millions of tonnes of topsoil were eroded in the year after the fires as the protection of the forest cover was removed. This made river water quality poor when the ash and soil washed into rivers.
Melting glaciers
Extreme snow and glacier-melt in the European Alps led to increased rock and ice falls in the mountains.
About 15,000 people died due to the heat in France, which led to a shortage of space to store dead bodies in mortuaries. Temporary mortuaries were set up in refrigeration lorries. There were also heat-related deaths in the UK (2,000), Portugal (2,100), Italy (3,100), Holland (1,500) and Germany (300).
France requested aid from the European Union to deal with the effects.Public water supply shortages occurred in several countries, including the UK and Croatia, which led to a temporary ban on using hose pipes.TV news, internet and newspapers informed the public on how to cope with the heat - drinking plenty of water, wearing cool clothing, and staying in the shade in the middle of the day.Network Rail in the UK imposed speed restrictions for trains when the temperature was above 30 °C. This was to help avoid trains derailing when railway lines might have buckledBy the end of the century the chance could increase to over 90% under a high greenhouse gas emission scenario. The 2022 UK summer heatwave, marked a milestone in UK climate history, with...
Jul 19, 2022 · But we're living in the hottest period for 125,000 years, according to the UN's climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). We know what's behind this - the ...
Jul 19, 2022 · 19 July 2022. Justin Rowlatt. BBC News Climate Editor. PA Media. Why are we seeing such brutal temperatures? Climate scientists say the answer is climate change. The Met Office estimates that the...
The Met Office's State of the UK Climate report for 2022 shows that apart from December, every month last year was warmer than the 1991-2020 average. As well as persistent warmth, one key...
People also ask
When did the UK Heatwave end?
How many heatwaves did the UK experience?
Is the UK's Heatwave more intense than Previous heatwaves?
How many heatwaves did the UK experience in 2022?
How many people died in the 2003 heatwave?
How many weather stations were broken during the July heatwave?
Jul 22, 2022 · A new event summary from the Met Office shows that the UK’s recent extreme heat was far more intense and widespread than previous comparable heatwaves. This was the first time 40°C has been...
