Are heatwaves getting longer – and what does that mean for the UK?

The Climate Change Committee warns that action to improve the nation’s climate resilience is failing to keep pace with the impacts of a warming planet, writes Samuel Webb

Rising temperatures are set to peak early next week (PA)

Heatwaves in the UK are not only getting hotter, but are also lasting longer.

While many throughout the UK would welcome the news, the reality is the more extreme temperatures last throughout the year, the greater the consequences we will face.

A special Met Office report on climate extremes in the UK found that we are experiencing higher maximum temperatures and longer warm spells in recent years.