UK museums at 'sharp end' of climate change challenge

As Britain experiences another summer heatwave, museums and heritage sites are facing growing challenges in protecting valuable collections from rising temperatures, humidity and flooding.
At London’s Grant Museum of Zoology, staff closely monitor display cases using sensors that track temperature changes. The system was introduced after an antique specimen jar containing a nearly 200-year-old preserved cat burst during a previous heatwave. Curators hope early warnings will help safeguard the museum’s 100,000 specimens for future generations.
Museum officials say climate change is creating new risks for collections, while Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the National Heat Risk Commission, described its impact on the cultural sector as a present-day reality. Last month’s heatwave forced several London attractions, including parts of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark, to close temporarily.

Beyond heat, heritage sites are also contending with heavier rainfall and flooding. Claire Teasdale of the National Trust said increasingly extreme weather is affecting historic properties and their collections. At Cragside, a 19th-century mansion in northern England housing works by artists including J.M.W. Turner and John Everett Millais, changing humidity levels pose a growing threat.
Flooding has also caused significant damage. Derby’s Museum of Making was hit by Storm Babet in 2023, resulting in repair costs exceeding £100,000 and a closure lasting nearly three months.
Experts say traditional air conditioning is not always practical for historic buildings. Instead, researchers are exploring low-energy cooling and ventilation systems inspired by ancient “windcatcher” designs, long used in Middle Eastern architecture to improve airflow and reduce indoor temperatures.
Howard Boyd believes museums and heritage venues must strengthen their climate resilience while also serving communities during extreme weather. A UK-wide initiative launched last month now highlights cultural venues that can provide cool public spaces during periods of intense heat. -AFP