The bees are dying – and nine other ways hotter weather is changing the British countryside forever

New data suggests that the number of bumblebees will dwindle as the UK’s temperatures heat up - (Getty/iStock)

If you thought you were sweaty and uncomfortable during the recent stint of heatwaves, spare a thought for the poor bumblebees. At least we humans can strip off to cool down; bees have no way of removing their thick, furry coats.

But merely feeling “uncomfortable” is the least of their worries. New data analysis has found that heatwaves could, in fact, see a sharp decline in bumblebee numbers in the coming years as climate change delivers more extreme weather and accompanying droughts.