Germany floods and UK extreme heat show no country is safe from the climate crisis

A run of wild weather events and deadly temperatures reignite the need for urgent climate action, writes Daisy Dunne

At least 180 have died in unprecedented floods in Germany, Belgium and other parts of western Europe (dpa via AP)

In another stark sign of the times, the UK’s Met Office issued its first ever extreme heat warning on Monday. The warning said that temperatures could reach 33C in some parts of the country this week and added that “adverse health effects are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat”.

The warning comes just two days after Northern Ireland logged its hottest temperature on record. Ballywatticock in County Down reached 31.2C on Saturday afternoon, according to the Met Office.

“We’re likely to see increased hospital admissions over the next few days, due to heat stress – a build up of body heat as conditions prevent people from cooling down, even at night – and other heat-related health issues,” says Chloe Brimicombe, a University of Reading PhD student researching heatwaves. “Vulnerable people do die.”