Wildfire in Suffolk is one of the impacts of the hot, dry summerThe UK continues to struggle with the impacts of extreme heat and drought, with wildfires blazing and warnings dry conditions may linger until the autumn. Temperature records have tumbled throughout the summer, with heatwaves in May and June both recording new highs for the time of year. There have been almost double the number of excess deaths caused by heatwaves so far this year than all of last summer, the data shows. Farmers are calling for efforts to make agriculture more resilient to climate change, including making it easier to build on-farm reservoirs and flexible abstraction licences so farmers can take and store water when it rains. In response to the heatwaves and wildfires hitting much of Europe, the UK and Spain have issued a joint statement warning that climate change is “a national security emergency” threatening people’s way of life.