The UK’s weather appears to be becoming more extreme year-on-year. Both the hottest and wettest years since records began have been within the last 10 years. The government warns that extreme weather is likely to cost the UK billions and wipe at least one percent off GDP growth every year by 2045, even if temperature rises are held below the benchmark of two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Record temperatures have been broken year on year and weather anomalies that would have been expected to occur once every 100 years are now more common.

This event will explore a broad array of extreme weather conditions from flooding and heatwaves, to snow and extreme cold. It will discuss the cause of the extreme weather seen in the UK, significantly linked to climate change. We will discover how to best prepare for the impact of extreme weather, through keynote addresses and case studies from local authorities, from government opposition and from volunteers with lived experience. The event will delve into case studies of good responses in the cases of extreme weather and the new technologies involved in prevention, planning, and response.