Summer 2021 will mark a turning point in how heat is seen by the public and communicated by experts. For the first time in its 167-year history, the UK’s Met…Read More >
heatwave
How will the 2018 drought affect our wildlife?
This summer’s heatwave has us all wondering how to stay cool, but animals are facing the same issues as humans with fewer means of coping. Professor Tom Oliver is Professor…Read More >
Three (and a half) reasons why it has been so hot and dry in the UK and Ireland
We’re all keenly aware of the heat wave that is affecting the UK and beyond – but why might it be happening? Len Shaffrey, University of Reading Professor of Climate…Read More >
The heatwave in numbers
The University of Reading weather records, captured at the Atmospheric Observatory, are updated daily and are publicly available online. Temperatures and rain records go back to 1908, while the sunshine…Read More >
When to water your plants during a heatwave
Anxious about the fate of your dahlias and tomatoes in the warm weather? Dr Alastair Culham from the School of Biological Sciences explains the best time of day to water your garden…Read More >
The hottest heatwave since 1976? This is what the evidence says
By Stephen Burt, Department of Meteorology, University of Reading There is much febrile comment in the media concerning the current heatwave. A common statement is ‘this is the greatest heatwave…Read More >