The Guardian view on extreme heat: as risks escalate, adaptation plans are dangerously lagging | Editorial

Record-breaking temperatures should focus minds on the UK’s lack of preparedness for the climate dangers ahead As western Europe bakes under what scientists describe as a heat dome, or “atmospheric lid”, reports of dozens of drownings, and heat-linked deaths of children and elderly people in France, are a stark reminder of the threat to life from extreme heat – and the fact that some people face higher risks than others. The red alert covering most of southern England and Wales for Wednesday and Thursday is only the second such warning to be issued. With the UK’s June record of 35.6C expected to be broken, hundreds of schools are closed. Network Rail has advised against non-essential travel. Temperatures in France and Spain are expected to be even higher, before the heat moves eastwards. But since the UK is less used to intense heat than its Mediterranean neighbours, it faces distinct challenges. Like emissions cuts, adaptation to the climate crisis is a global issue. Some of the poorest countries in the world, which bear least responsibility for greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, confront the gravest threats from excessive heat – and the wildfires and droughts it causes – and als