TALKING about the weather is a favourite pastime of the British, and over the last few weeks, as the weather has grown ever hotter and more oppressive, the topic has provoked much discussion.

Will it ever rain again? Will a hosepipe ban be introduced? Just why has it been so hot? Will the country’s supply of ice cream hold up? How can I sleep in such humid conditions? Is climate change to blame for this prolonged heatwave?

The last question is the million dollar one, and a report published today sheds some light on the issue. Scientists who carried out an initial assessment of this summer’s Europe-wide hot spell concluded that climate change caused by human activity made the heatwave more than twice as likely to occur.

Researchers warn that such events will become “even less exceptional” as global temperatures continue to increase.

Because extreme weather is not unique, it’s not possible to say that climate change causes them, the scientists said, but it is possible to say whether it increased or decreased the likelihood them happening. So to summarise, we had all better stock up on suncream and ice lollies, and keep the sandbags and wellies handy for when the weather breaks.

Joking aside – and it really is no laughing matter – if this sort of unpredictable and extreme weather is to become the norm, there will be serious infrastructure improvements required so the country does not grind to a halt every time the mercury rises.