Why can’t Britain handle the heat?

Summer 2026 is another scorcher, with temperature records being broken across Europe. Infrastructure in the UK is creaking; with trains cancelled, schools closed and people sweltering in their homes. Why does Europe seem to be heating up more than other continents? And could outlandish ideas hold the answer to cooling us down long term?

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Guest: Tom Whipple, science writer and special correspondent, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Harry Stott.

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Read more: Heatwave exposes flaws in Britain’s ability to supply fresh food

Further listening: Have we stopped caring about climate change?

Clips: Channel 4, BBC, Sky News. 

Photo: Getty Images.

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