July 18, 2022

Heatwaves – climate, resilience and human health

At time of writing, temperatures are forecast to hit 40C in parts of the UK on 18/19 July.  This briefing brought together scientists from a range of disciplines who were able to cover

• the impact of climate change on heatwave frequency/intensity
• the effect of intense heat on human health and physiology
• consequences and planning for extremes like this

There weren’t any new results or findings – the speakers did a few minutes on their main points then it was mainly a Q&A for journalists. 

Speakers included:

Prof Hannah Cloke, natural hazards researcher at the University of Reading

Prof Mike Tipton, Professor of Human & Applied Physiology, University of Portsmouth

Dr Eunice Lo, climate scientist at the University of Bristol Cabot Institute for the Environment

Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer in Climate Science, Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Imperial College London

Prof Nigel Arnell, Professor of Climate System Science at the University of Reading

Dr Laurence Wainwright, Departmental Lecturer at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford