UK must prepare buildings for 2C rise in global temperature, government told

"Britain must prepare for global heating far in excess of the level scientists have pegged as the limit of safety, the government's climate advisers have warned, as current plans to protect against extreme weather are inadequate. Heatwaves will occur in at least four of every five years in England by 2050, and time spent in drought will double. The number of days of peak wildfire conditions in July will nearly treble for the UK,"

"Existing buildings and infrastructure should be upgraded to withstand temperatures of at least 2C higher than normal by 2050, instead of the 1.5C nations are hoping to keep as a limit, the committee said. Any new constructions intended to last decades should be prepared for 4C above preindustrial levels a level at which the world will face global devastation. Up to now, adaptation has been underresourced and underfunded, she said."

Heatwaves will occur in at least four of every five years in England by 2050 and time spent in drought will double. Days of peak wildfire conditions in July will nearly treble while floods will increase in frequency throughout the year, with some peak river flows rising by 40%. Existing buildings and infrastructure should be upgraded to withstand temperatures at least 2C higher than normal by 2050, and new constructions intended to last decades should be designed for up to 4C above preindustrial levels. Impacts are already affecting the NHS, schools, transport, communications and energy networks. Adaptation has been underresourced and underfunded, leaving the UK dangerously exposed to future effects. The committee has not yet estimated resilience costs, but warned that costs of action would likely be lower than the costs of inaction.

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