Should the UK name heatwaves like storms? It won't make people take them more seriously

clock • 4 min read
Should the UK name heatwaves like storms? It won't make people take them more seriously

Naming heatwaves may increase awareness of climate risks, but it could be dismissed by the public as sensationalist

The UK Met Office has given storms forenames for the past decade as part of an effort to raise public awareness of extreme weather before it strikes. Heatwaves are becoming increasingly frequent and severe...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Risk

'A world in the red': Is the global economy entering an era of 'water bankruptcy'?
Risk

'A world in the red': Is the global economy entering an era of 'water bankruptcy'?

Major UN-backed report calls for fundamental reset of global water management, as it warns many regions are living beyond their hydrological means

Amber Rolt
clock 20 January 2026 • 8 min read
The economics of climate risk ignores the value of natural habitats
Risk

The economics of climate risk ignores the value of natural habitats

Where risk rises, returns have to rise too. Where ecosystems are protected, financing becomes cheaper

Narmin Nahidi, University of Exeter - The Conversation
clock 16 January 2026 • 4 min read
WWF: Extreme weather costs and 'protection gap' undermining insurance sector
Risk

WWF: Extreme weather costs and 'protection gap' undermining insurance sector

Insurance industry 'the canary in the coalmine' for financial system's exposure to climate risks and nature loss, new white paper warns

Stuart Stone
Stuart Stone
clock 15 January 2026 • 4 min read