Experts have warned that the number of skin cancer cases could increase due to the hot summer temperatures caused by the climate crisis.
The UK registered temperatures of more than 40C for the first time since records began in July and the blazing heat has not wilted in recent weeks either, with regular spells of sunshine reaching up to 35C, including this weekend in some parts. According to The Guardian, climate scientists have stressed that these baking summer days are not a one-off and we can expect sweltering temperatures more often in the future.
According to Cancer Research UK, melanoma skin cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK with around 16,700 new cases every year - an average of 46 every day.
Since the 1990s, melanoma cancer incidences have more than doubled (increased by 140%) in the UK, with rates in females increasing by 106% while rates have nearly tripled (184%) in men.
An expert in climate science at the University of Bristol, professor Dann Mitchell, spoke about the connection between the rising temperatures and people's health. He said: "One of the clearest signals of climate change is hotter temperatures, not just in summer, but all year around.
"This shift in temperatures also shifts behavioural patterns, and people in the UK tend to go outside more when the temperatures are warm. This leads to more exposure to sunlight throughout the year, and crucially more exposure to the UV part of that sunlight, which is a known risk factor for skin cancer."
His concerns were highlighted by professor Sarah Danson, who specialised in medical oncology at the University of Sheffield. She added: "As a clinician treating patients with melanoma, I am definitely concerned that a sustained trend in hotter summers will lead to more cases of melanoma and more deaths from melanoma."
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