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Fears in Britain about climate change have hit a record high, an exclusive poll for the Evening Standard reveals today.

The Ipsos MORI survey showed 85 per cent of adults are now concerned about global warming, the highest figure since the pollster started asking the question in 2005.

It comes at a time when concern for the natural world is being propelled by freakish weather and after the hottest July ever around the globe.

In Britain, a record temperature of 38.7C was set on July 25 at Cambridge Botanic Gardens . In contrast, the downpours that followed are set to make August the wettest ever , according to the Met Office.

The proportion of people who are “very concerned” about climate change has jumped to a record 52 per cent, up from just 18 per cent five years ago.

More than half of women, 55 per cent, now express such deep alarm, compared with 48 per cent of men.

Nearly three-quarters of Britons believe the country is already feeling the effects of climate change — up from 61 per cent in 2017, 55 per cent in 2014 and 41 per cent in 2010.

When asked about the recent hot weather, just over a quarter thought it was mainly caused by climate change due to human activity, 15 per cent said it was mainly down to natural weather processes, and 57 per cent believed that both factors were to blame.

One year ago Swedish activist Greta Thunberg started the School Strike for Climate movement, which called on children to walk out of classes in protest at government inaction on the issue.

Last week the 16-year-old set off on a zero-carbon yacht from Plymouth to New York, where she will address world leaders at a climate change summit.

In London, there have been a series of demonstrations by environmental group Extinction Rebellion, amid rising public demand for action.

UK Heatwave: July 2019 - In pictures 46 show all UK Heatwave: July 2019 - In pictures 1/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 2/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 3/46 People punt under the Bridge of Sighs at St. John's College in Cambridge on the River Cam PA 4/46 People enjoy the hot weather in Hyde Park PA 5/46 A man and two women canoe up the Thames approaching the bridge at Hose Fair, near Kingston-upon-Thames PA 6/46 People enjoy the hot weather on Brighton Beach PA 7/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 8/46 People enjoy the hot weather in central Manchester PA 9/46 Victora Parkes and Rachel Crossland on Scarborough beach PA 10/46 Children sit in the sun by 'The Friendly Giant', a pond sculpture situated in Alnwick Gardens in Anwick, Northumberland PA 11/46 Hyde Park Alex Lentati 12/46 Scarborough beach PA 13/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 14/46 The sun rises over the Thames estuary at Gravesend SplashNews.com 15/46 Charlotte Burniston and Justin McNicholas on Scarborough beach PA 16/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 17/46 Gemma Moore and Leon Charlton on Scarborough beach PA 18/46 The sun rises over Burton Dassett Hills in Southam, Warwickshire PA 19/46 Sunbathing on Primrose Hill Matt Writtle 20/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 21/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 22/46 Dramatic multiple lightning strikes over The Shard Alamy Live News 23/46 Revellers enjoying Scarborough Beach PA 24/46 People enjoy a water fountain in a park in Windsor AP 25/46 Crowds decend onto the beach at West Bay in Dorset as the temprature rises during the first week of the school hollidays Rex Features 26/46 Ernie Ward jumps into the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 27/46 Brighton Rex Features 28/46 Sun drenched crowded beach at Weymouth, Dorset Rex Features 29/46 Brighton Rex Features 30/46 A tiger at London Zoo cools off in the water London Zoo 31/46 People play in the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 32/46 Brighton Rex Features 33/46 People enjoy punting through Westgate Gardens in Canterbury, Kent, as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 34/46 Primates at London Zoo are given ice-lollies, made of frozen fruit tea or sugar free cordial to keep cool London Zoo 35/46 People in the sun at English Heritage's Warkworth Castle in Northumberland as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 36/46 Sunbathers relax in the sunshine on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F PA 37/46 Horse-riders take part in the Crusaders' Chase at dusk on Musselburgh beach at the start of the week-long Musselburgh Festiva PA 38/46 A view of the Loggia at Hever Castle in Kent through new flower meadows, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F). PA 39/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 40/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground PA 41/46 Lightning strikes over Canary Wharf Alamy Live News 42/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 43/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 44/46 People enjoy a boat ride along the River Thames in Windsor AP 45/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 46/46 A couple enjoy the sunshine on Brighton Palace Pier Getty Images 1/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 2/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 3/46 People punt under the Bridge of Sighs at St. John's College in Cambridge on the River Cam PA 4/46 People enjoy the hot weather in Hyde Park PA 5/46 A man and two women canoe up the Thames approaching the bridge at Hose Fair, near Kingston-upon-Thames PA 6/46 People enjoy the hot weather on Brighton Beach PA 7/46 Swimmers at the Serpentine Lido in Hyde Park Matt Writtle 8/46 People enjoy the hot weather in central Manchester PA 9/46 Victora Parkes and Rachel Crossland on Scarborough beach PA 10/46 Children sit in the sun by 'The Friendly Giant', a pond sculpture situated in Alnwick Gardens in Anwick, Northumberland PA 11/46 Hyde Park Alex Lentati 12/46 Scarborough beach PA 13/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 14/46 The sun rises over the Thames estuary at Gravesend SplashNews.com 15/46 Charlotte Burniston and Justin McNicholas on Scarborough beach PA 16/46 People enjoy the hot weather on the South Bank close to The Tate Modern Nigel Howard 17/46 Gemma Moore and Leon Charlton on Scarborough beach PA 18/46 The sun rises over Burton Dassett Hills in Southam, Warwickshire PA 19/46 Sunbathing on Primrose Hill Matt Writtle 20/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 21/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 22/46 Dramatic multiple lightning strikes over The Shard Alamy Live News 23/46 Revellers enjoying Scarborough Beach PA 24/46 People enjoy a water fountain in a park in Windsor AP 25/46 Crowds decend onto the beach at West Bay in Dorset as the temprature rises during the first week of the school hollidays Rex Features 26/46 Ernie Ward jumps into the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 27/46 Brighton Rex Features 28/46 Sun drenched crowded beach at Weymouth, Dorset Rex Features 29/46 Brighton Rex Features 30/46 A tiger at London Zoo cools off in the water London Zoo 31/46 People play in the water at Ilkley outdoor pool and lido in West Yorkshire as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F) PA 32/46 Brighton Rex Features 33/46 People enjoy punting through Westgate Gardens in Canterbury, Kent, as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 34/46 Primates at London Zoo are given ice-lollies, made of frozen fruit tea or sugar free cordial to keep cool London Zoo 35/46 People in the sun at English Heritage's Warkworth Castle in Northumberland as temperatures are expected to rise over the UK this week PA 36/46 Sunbathers relax in the sunshine on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F PA 37/46 Horse-riders take part in the Crusaders' Chase at dusk on Musselburgh beach at the start of the week-long Musselburgh Festiva PA 38/46 A view of the Loggia at Hever Castle in Kent through new flower meadows, as the UK is expected to edge towards its hottest ever July day, with the mercury due to soar above 30C (86F). PA 39/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground Nigel Howard 40/46 The heatwave hits the London Underground PA 41/46 Lightning strikes over Canary Wharf Alamy Live News 42/46 Youths cool off on Brighton beach Getty Images 43/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 44/46 People enjoy a boat ride along the River Thames in Windsor AP 45/46 A packed Brighton beach in the sunshine Getty Images 46/46 A couple enjoy the sunshine on Brighton Palace Pier Getty Images

Britain is already committed under the 2008 Climate Change Act to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. Just weeks before she quit as prime minister, Theresa May unveiled plans to cut these climate-damaging emissions to “net zero” within the same timescale.

However, 55 per cent of Britons believe the Government should aim to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero more quickly, a belief held by 63 per cent of adults aged 18-34, as well as 70 per cent of Labour supporters, and 69 per cent of Liberal Democrat backers.

Antonia Dickman, head of environment research at Ipsos MORI, said: “In 2005-6 we saw a peak in concern about the environment, reflecting the prominence of media reporting around, for example, Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth, the Kyoto Protocol coming into effect and the Stern Report.

Parliament Square, London: Climate Change Protest - In pictures 30 show all Parliament Square, London: Climate Change Protest - In pictures 1/30 Students take part in a global school strike for climate change in Parliament Square today PA 2/30 AFP/Getty Images 3/30 Neil Hall/EPA 4/30 EPA 5/30 Reuters 6/30 PA 7/30 AFP/Getty Images 8/30 PA 9/30 AFP/Getty Images 10/30 AFP/Getty Images 11/30 PA 12/30 PA 13/30 AFP/Getty Images 14/30 PA 15/30 PA 16/30 PA 17/30 EPA 18/30 EPA 19/30 AFP/Getty Images 20/30 AFP/Getty Images 21/30 EPA 22/30 EPA 23/30 EPA 24/30 Reuters 25/30 PA 26/30 Reuters 27/30 Reuters 28/30 Reuters 29/30 PA 30/30 PA 1/30 Students take part in a global school strike for climate change in Parliament Square today PA 2/30 AFP/Getty Images 3/30 Neil Hall/EPA 4/30 EPA 5/30 Reuters 6/30 PA 7/30 AFP/Getty Images 8/30 PA 9/30 AFP/Getty Images 10/30 AFP/Getty Images 11/30 PA 12/30 PA 13/30 AFP/Getty Images 14/30 PA 15/30 PA 16/30 PA 17/30 EPA 18/30 EPA 19/30 AFP/Getty Images 20/30 AFP/Getty Images 21/30 EPA 22/30 EPA 23/30 EPA 24/30 Reuters 25/30 PA 26/30 Reuters 27/30 Reuters 28/30 Reuters 29/30 PA 30/30 PA

“But climate fatigue appeared to set in, particularly in the aftermath of the economic crash.

“Recently, though, concern has been creeping up again, after events such as Extinction Rebellion, the school strikes for climate, and climate emergencies being declared by local authorities.”

Ipsos MORI interviewed 1,007 adults by phone between July 26 and 30. Data are weighted.