the great fire (hazard) of London

A few years ago London was swept by a record-breaking heatwave called the Sahara Bubble. That heatwave brought a fiery breath of 36 degrees Celsius to London, the highest temperature recorded in the city.

Most of Europe was hit harder than the UK, which only suffered a single day. This week, three years later, the UK was blasted by a heatwave that made the Sahara Bubble seem like a gentle breeze.

News reports warned of record highs of 40 degrees Celsius - 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Many of us prepared for the heat, sealing rooms, closing curtains and having ice packs and cold food and drink at the ready.

But many sun-loving Brits, not having experienced the heart-attack-inducing temperature of 38-40 degrees, excitedly prepared for a fun day out at parks, pools and tourist attractions.

St Paul's Cathedral

Then the heat struck, and paralysed London. Trains were paused or cancelled, and those still active moved cautiously along the tracks for fear of setting sparks or coming off of steel rails warped from the heat. Tourist attractions like the British Museum closed, unable to keep staff or visitors cool.

The London Monument, purported site of the Great Fire of London

Before the heatwave, a now infamous interview featured a meteorologist trying to convince a smiling news anchor that the heatwave would be deadly, and she playfully scolded him, reminding him to be "happy" about a "nice hot day". The disasters of Monday and Tuesday proved him right.

Seventeen houses caught fire in Wennington, London, and many other places throughout the UK experienced fire outbreaks. Firefighters said it was "their busiest day since the Second World War", as more than 60 homes burned across the country.

Even the nighttime brought little relief. Citizens were advised to sleep under dampened sheets or wrap a towel dipped in icy water around their necks. Thirteen people died by jumping into open water since the weather began to heat up.

Having experienced the terrifying heat of an un-airconditioned flat in Manila, we have a little experience in keeping ourselves cool. Extensive safety measures plus a high tolerance for heat helped me through the worst days. I also didn't need to leave the house, a luxury not many people had on the weekday.

My favourite heatwave drink, from comic Johnny Wander 
by Ananth Panagariya and Yuko Ota

We hope against hope that the world can heed this warning about climate change, so brutally illustrated on a country unequipped to deal with extremes. We can still protect ourselves and the planet if we pull our heads out of the sand and get moving, before we lose so much more.