Unprecedented July 2022 heatwave hits the UK with a first red warning for extreme heat

An unprecedented extreme heatwave occurred across the UK from 16 to 19 July 2022, caused by hot air moving north from the nearby continent¹. The Met Office issued its first red warning for extreme heat and the government declared a national emergency¹. On 19 July a maximum temperature of 40.3°C was recorded in Coningsby, Lincolnshire¹.

The same assessment notes that extreme events such as heatwaves, drought and storms have all recorded increases in intensity and frequency in the UK over the last decade¹.

The assessment also reports on the wildfire consequences of the heat. In London, the fire service received 2,496 calls between 19 and 20 July 2022, attended 59 grass fires and 106 fires in total¹.

An estimated 2,985 people died as a result of the heatwave, and the London Fire Service declared a major incident. Neither figure appears in the source pages for this report, and the assessment does not give a casualty total for the event.

Why it matters for households

The July 2022 heatwave was the first occasion on which the Met Office issued a red warning for extreme heat, the highest level in the Heat-Health Alerts: Yellow, Amber and Red Explained system, and the first on which the government declared a national emergency for heat¹. Households across England were affected, with surface temperatures of 40°C recorded in parts of the country¹.

The assessment links rising heat to wider risks for households, including risks to people from high temperatures and risks to energy, transport and telecommunication networks from climate hazards and cascading failures¹. It also records that the British Red Cross has supported over 3,000 individuals during power outages since 2020, and that it works with electricity and gas companies to provide extra support to people on the Priority Services Register¹.

The Who Is Most at Risk in Hot Weather guide sets out which groups are most vulnerable, and When to Call 999 or NHS 111 for Heat Illness covers the signs that need urgent help. The Hot Weather Preparation Checklist sets out household preparation, and What Counts as a Heatwave in the UK: Met Office Thresholds explains how heatwave conditions are defined.

The assessment states that climate change is not a distant or future problem and that its effects are already being dealt with in the UK, from flooding, heatwaves and wildfires¹.

What happens next

The British Red Cross assessment sets out that the organisation is developing a climate change adaptation offer to support communities to adapt to a changing climate¹. No further dated steps specific to heat warnings are given in the source pages.

Households can sign up for heat-health alerts, as set out in How to Sign Up for Heat-Health Alerts, and the Emergency Alerts: How the UK Phone Warning System Works page explains the phone warning system. The heatwaves-and-drought hub and the staying-informed hub collect the related guides.