The mercury has shattered records across central and northern Europe. Germany sweltered through its hottest June day on Tuesday, with a reading of 39.5°C in Saarbrücken. Denmark and the Czech Republic also toppled historic highs, as a furnace of hot air from the Sahara settled over the continent. The UK Met Office has issued a stark warning: this is not just a holidaymakers' problem. The domestic impact will be felt in the cost of food, the strain on workers, and the health of the vulnerable.
For those of us who remember the 1976 drought or the 2003 heatwave, these events are becoming cruelly regular. But this one is different in scale. The Met Office's Dr. Mark McCarthy said the persistence of these temperatures is unprecedented. “We are seeing a shift. It is not a one-off. The climate is changing and our summers are becoming more extreme.” The warning for Britain is clear: expect infrastructure strain, water shortages, and a spike in food prices.
The price of bread is my perpetual concern. Wheat fields across the continent are scorched. The European Commission has already downgraded its harvest forecast. British farmers, who saw yields hammered last year, face another blow. A poor harvest means higher flour costs, and that means dearer loaves for working families. The real economy is about what you can afford to put on the table.
And what of the workers? The TUC has called for an urgent review of workplace heat rules. There is no legal maximum temperature for workplaces in Britain. Labour MPs are pushing for change, pointing to the deaths of farm workers in Spain last week. The unions are right. When the mercury rises, it is the low-paid, the outdoor workers, the warehouse staff who bear the brunt. The government must act.
The NHS is bracing. Hospitals are activating heatwave plans, which means extra fluids, rotating staff, and postponing elective surgeries. The elderly, the young, and those with respiratory conditions are most at risk. The number of excess deaths during the 2003 heatwave was 2,000 in the UK alone. We cannot afford to be complacent.
But there is a deeper injustice here. The North of England, the Midlands, and Scotland often escape the worst of the heat. But the economic consequences hit everywhere. London and the South East may bask in the sun, but it is the regions that grow our food and build our homes. Regional inequality will be exacerbated. The heatwave is a luxury for those with air conditioning, a crisis for those without.
So as the records fall, remember this: the real story is not the temperature. It is the price of a pint of milk. It is the struggle to sleep in a stuffy flat. It is the farm worker collapsing in the field. The heatwave is a window into our future. And that future does not look fair.
