The United Kingdom(UK) has experienced its warmest summer since records began in 1884, with the country seeing four heatwaves and a mean average temperature of 16.1C (60.9F) between June and August.
According to the Met Office, the summer of 2025 has been made much more likely because of the greenhouse gases humans have released since the Industrial Revolution.
“Our analysis shows that the summer of 2025 has been made much more likely because of the greenhouse gases humans have released since the Industrial Revolution,” said Mark McCarthy, head of climate attribution at the Met Office.
“We could plausibly experience much hotter summers in our current and near future,” McCarthy added. “What would have been seen as extremes in the past are becoming more common in our changing climate”.
The announcement from the Met Office comes as concerns about climate change continue to grow. Health experts and climate activists have warned that drilling for more oil and gas in the North Sea could have adverse consequences for climate change.
The UK’s infrastructure and health systems have struggled to keep up with the intensifying summer heat, with soaring temperatures in London’s underground rail network prompting Transport for London to urge passengers to carry water and “look out for each other while travelling”.
An alliance of 53 UK health organisations has warned that “heatwaves are linked to sharp increases in deaths”, and that higher temperatures can disrupt sleep, increase stress, and make mental health illnesses, such as depression and anxiety, worse.
Countries worldwide have experienced record-breaking heat in recent years as global warming intensifies. Japan and South Korea have just sweated through their hottest summers since records began.
In Europe, sweltering heatwaves this summer contributed to deadly wildfires in countries such as Greece, Spain, and Portugal. Meanwhile, two million people have been affected as Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province is currently dealing with the biggest flood in its history.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has found that countries must meet their climate obligations and that failing to do so could violate international law, potentially opening the door for affected nations to seek reparations in future legal cases.
The news of the UK’s hottest summer on record comes as the Conservative Party has pledged to drill all remaining North Sea oil and gas if elected.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the Conservative Party, said her party would extract every last drop of oil and gas from the North Sea, according to The Financial Times. This stance has been met with criticism from health experts and climate activists, who argue that drilling for more oil and gas will exacerbate climate change.
The UK’s experience of its hottest summer on record highlights the need for urgent action on climate change.
As the country looks to the future, it is clear that the impacts of climate change will only continue to grow.
The Conservative Party’s pledge to drill all remaining North Sea oil and gas is a step in the wrong direction, and policymakers must prioritize reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources. The health and well-being of the UK’s population depend on it.