As the city sizzled in record-breaking temperatures earlier this month, Manchester was forced to confront an uncomfortable fact – it's failing to act fast enough. The extreme heat didn't quite hit the heights of 38C, which was forecast for Manchester on July 19, but records were broken twice in two days.
Weather stations in Rochdale and Rostherne - the nearest to the city - saw top temperatures of 37.2C and 37.7C respectively, smashing the previous record of 33.9C. Meanwhile, the The University of Manchester reported temperatures of more than 36C at its Whitworth Observatory near the city centre on the same day.
And climate change modelling by the UK Met Office predicts more frequent and intense weather events in the future, including floods and heatwaves. Despite the discomfort of the higher temperatures - estimated to be 5.6C above average during summers - flooding is expected to have the biggest impact on Manchester where more than 48,000 homes are at a high risk.
