36
peak of 31.3 °C measured at the airport on the southern periphery of the Greater
Manchester urban area (Smith and Lawson 2012). Some of the excess deaths from
past high temperature events in Greater Manchester are not only directly heatrelated but also due to drownings from swimming in open waters and waterways as
well as respiratory problems due to elevated air pollution concentrations and
extremely high pollen counts (ibid.). Other impacts include from infrastructure
damage and delay (road and rail), water restrictions and fires, both within the city
and in the upland hinterlands (see Box 2.1).
Box 2.1 Heat-Related Events and Their Impacts: Evidence from
Summer 2018 in the Case Study Area
Late June/early July 2018 saw a particularly long warm, dry period in Greater
Manchester. Between 22 June and 6 July 2018 there were more than five consecutive dry days with ten of those dry days seeing peak temperatures
>25 °C. This is compared with a longer-term June/July average of
64.5/67.3 mm rainfall, 9.7/11.7 rain days (>1 mm rain) and peak temperatures
of 18.4/20.2 °C (1982–2010 averages) (Met Office 2018). At the time of writing the event was ongoing, with a Level 3 Heatwave action issued and with
the national meteorological office reporting a probable lack of rainfall lasting
a month (Manchester Evening News 2018). Peak temperatures exceeded
30 °C (Fig. 2.6 (top)) and were certainly considerably higher in the city centre
where there is no official meteorological station.
The warm, dry conditions contributed to the development of a moorland
fire on Saddleworth moor (near Oldham, Greater Manchester), which was so
extreme that the army was called to assist fire fighters, schools were closed
and local residents evacuated (BBC 2018). The resultant smoke was extensive
and severe enough to trigger smoke alarms in buildings in Manchester city
centre more than 15 km away (University of Manchester, pers. com.). At least
two other large moorland fires on Bolton’s Winter Hill to the north of the city
also affected an area greater than 10 km
2
(BBC 2018). At least one industrial
fire occurred in Rochdale to the north east of the conurbation. The combined
effects of the fires, high temperatures and wind flows led to elevated air pollutant concentrations in terms of ozone, fine particulate matter and nitrogen
dioxide (Fig. 2.6 (bottom)).
All of these pollutants are regulated for public health. Although no evidence of health effects has yet emerged, it is highly likely that they occurred.
Fig. 2.7 provides a rich picture of the expected links between ecosystems,
human health and key climate-related indicators.
S. J. Lindley et al.
peak of 31.3 °C measured at the airport on the southern periphery of the Greater
Manchester urban area (Smith and Lawson 2012). Some of the excess deaths from
past high temperature events in Greater Manchester are not only directly heatrelated but also due to drownings from swimming in open waters and waterways as
well as respiratory problems due to elevated air pollution concentrations and
extremely high pollen counts (ibid.). Other impacts include from infrastructure
damage and delay (road and rail), water restrictions and fires, both within the city
and in the upland hinterlands (see Box 2.1).
Box 2.1 Heat-Related Events and Their Impacts: Evidence from
Summer 2018 in the Case Study Area
Late June/early July 2018 saw a particularly long warm, dry period in Greater
Manchester. Between 22 June and 6 July 2018 there were more than five consecutive dry days with ten of those dry days seeing peak temperatures
>25 °C. This is compared with a longer-term June/July average of
64.5/67.3 mm rainfall, 9.7/11.7 rain days (>1 mm rain) and peak temperatures
of 18.4/20.2 °C (1982–2010 averages) (Met Office 2018). At the time of writing the event was ongoing, with a Level 3 Heatwave action issued and with
the national meteorological office reporting a probable lack of rainfall lasting
a month (Manchester Evening News 2018). Peak temperatures exceeded
30 °C (Fig. 2.6 (top)) and were certainly considerably higher in the city centre
where there is no official meteorological station.
The warm, dry conditions contributed to the development of a moorland
fire on Saddleworth moor (near Oldham, Greater Manchester), which was so
extreme that the army was called to assist fire fighters, schools were closed
and local residents evacuated (BBC 2018). The resultant smoke was extensive
and severe enough to trigger smoke alarms in buildings in Manchester city
centre more than 15 km away (University of Manchester, pers. com.). At least
two other large moorland fires on Bolton’s Winter Hill to the north of the city
also affected an area greater than 10 km
2
(BBC 2018). At least one industrial
fire occurred in Rochdale to the north east of the conurbation. The combined
effects of the fires, high temperatures and wind flows led to elevated air pollutant concentrations in terms of ozone, fine particulate matter and nitrogen
dioxide (Fig. 2.6 (bottom)).
All of these pollutants are regulated for public health. Although no evidence of health effects has yet emerged, it is highly likely that they occurred.
Fig. 2.7 provides a rich picture of the expected links between ecosystems,
human health and key climate-related indicators.
S. J. Lindley et al.