After an unusually wet and cold spring, Britain’s temperatures bounced back in June with records broken right across the country. ‘Flaming June’ certainly lived up to its name with wall-to-wall sunshine by day and uncomfortably hot nights. And while we all enjoyed the blue skies and warm weather, it was a serious reminder of the impact of climate change and the need to take action right now.

Smashing the record

The June temperature record was not just beaten by a fraction of a degree, it was smashed out of the park. The average monthly temperature record – standing at 14.9°C from the famous summer of 1976 – was beaten by 0.9°C, making the UK almost a full degree hotter than ever before in June. Average maximum and minimum temperature records were also smashed, with 72 out of 97 recording stations setting a new high and national record broken in all four home nations.

Scarce rainfall

In addition to the record temperatures, rainfall was down to just two thirds of normal in the UK as a whole and just over half in Wales. This, combined with a 25% increase in demand for water during the record temperatures, has put the nation’s supplies under serious strain. This not only means the inconvenience of hosepipe bans in many areas, it also takes its toll on wildlife, with significant increases in dead fish and other animal and insect casualties reported across the country.

Climate change, the likely cause

While there’s always natural variability in our weather and temperatures, scientists are convinced that climate change is the underlying cause for what have now become regular extreme weather events. What’s more, these events are happening so often – remember the UK hit an all-time temperature record last summer, topping 40°C for the first time ever – nature and the environment simply don’t have time to recover in between.

You can make a difference

It’s easy to blame climate change on fossil-fuelled power stations and heavy industry, but we all have a role to play. We’ve all been part of the problem, creating emissions at home and at work, and we can all be part of the solution. The good news is that Think Hire are here to help you make that difference, every day, however large or small your site. We have the plant and equipment you need to work more sustainably, harnessing the clean, emission-free power of solar energy for everything from construction lighting to electric vehicles and plant.

Every little helps

Just as climate change is the result of millions of individual choices and actions, so is the fight against climate change. Every little helps because every cut in emissions, however small, reduces the overall greenhouse effect. You may think that running your construction lighting using solar power is just a drop in the ocean, but if we all do a little, it adds up to a lot. This is not someone else’s problem, it’s a problem for all of us, and we all need to be part of the solution.

Change to solar powered construction lighting today

The record temperatures for June show us that climate change is not just a gloomy forecast for the future, but a terrifying reality right now. And so we must act now to fight it. To find out more about how you can play your part, with solar construction lighting and many other sustainable power solutions from Think Hire, get in touch with our team today. Not only can we help you cut emissions, we can also guarantee to cut your costs too, creating a win-win situation for your site.