Visitors to Greenwich Park walk and play on the dry brown grass (Photo: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

This is not normal – but at the same time it is. It’s been hot for three solid months now, and we’re starting to get used to it.

It’s been a long time since I wore a jumper, closed my windows overnight or even sat on a lush green lawn. And in truth, I’m enjoying the heat. It’s lovely to spend a sunny afternoon on the beach in my constituency, Brighton Pavilion.

But in the back of my mind I know this isn’t right. This isn’t normal. And, as we begin to hear of the consequences, this is scary.



Today the Environmental Audit Committee, of which I’m a member, publishes a report on heatwaves, warning that heat-related deaths could treble by 2050 unless the government takes action.


Swathes of the south-east haven’t seen rain for seven full weeks. New records appear to be broken every day – this heatwave is already longer than that of 1976, and more widespread.

For a long time those of us fighting climate change have been too cautious about linking weather events with global warming – but as a heatwave grips much of the northern hemisphere, the connection is undeniable. This hot spell is part of a wider trend that’s seen 16 of the hottest 17 years on record happen since the turn of the century.

It’s easy to imagine climate breakdown will happen all at once – some big event, like in a disaster movie. The reality is extreme weather gradually taking over the news agenda – a flood here, a landslide there, another deadly heatwave on your doorstep. Our baseline perception of what’s normal is shifting day after sweltering day – putting us in danger of not noticing just how much has changed.

You might think it’s a shame your lawn has withered and your local park is wilting – but for farmers whose fields are crumbling to dust, this could be a disaster.

Potato farmers are particularly worried. For those without irrigation systems, the drought brings serious risks to their crop – and if yields suffer, the price of your chips by the beach could rocket.

Peas are dying off before they can reach maturity. Carrot yields are plummeting, sending wholesale prices up 140%. Dairy farmers are struggling to provide enough food and water for their cows.

Andrew Francis, senior farms manager at Elveden Farms Limited told the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board: ‘Nobody’s systems are set up for a full growing season without rain, and at the minute that’s what we’re heading for.’

The bed of Wayoh Reservoir near Bolton has dried up (Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

On the upside, you might have noticed that those dry fields and gardens are filled with butterflies. But as plants wilt, caterpillars are going hungry. We will pay for beauty this summer with rapidly silencing springs over the next few years, as the combination of heat and pesticides extinguish life at the bottom of the food chain.



And without insects, birds will struggle. The Woodland Trust has warned of berries ripening before they reach their full size – meaning wildlife could go hungry.

Last week the government launched a little-noticed climate change adaptation plan, warning we’re at risk of water shortages and damage to public health as heatwaves take hold. And today’s Environmental Audit Committee report makes the case for a more joined-up approach to building heat resilience into our infrastructure.

The fact is we’ve failed to take action quickly enough to avert the beginnings of climate breakdown. We’re seeing the effects now and we need to be prepared. And there’s much more we could be doing.

The Government must urgently launch a home insulation programme – so we can keep warm in the winter and cool in the summer, while simultaneously cutting energy bills and carbon emissions – creating hundreds of thousands of jobs.

The public sector should make an effort to source food from within the UK – giving our hard-pressed farmers a much-needed boost.

Ministers should bring our water back into public hands, to force much-needed investment to stop leaks and end the scandal of shareholders profiting as bills soar.

Even small changes – like increasing the numbers of water fountains in our cities – could make a real difference to our ability to cope.

But most importantly, we need to stop pursuing policies which are accelerating the climate crisis still further. With the Arctic melting in 30 degree heat and so much damage to our wildlife already done, we can’t wait another minute to take action.


With the government granting permission yesterday for fracking in Lancashire – tearing up our climate change commitments in the process – it’s clear ministers are burying their heads in the sand.

It might feel easy to sit back and enjoy the sun – but this is not a normal summer. This must be our summer of resistance. It’s time we took to the streets and demanded the government take action to turn down the heat.

MORE: Brexit is not a done deal – we have everything to fight for

MORE: Young sisters die in hot car after climbing in to play as temperatures hit 36C

MORE: Met Office say temperatures will hit 37C on Friday