Millions of children across the UK say climate change is impacting their wellbeing after relentless heatwaves, wildfires and flooding.

Teenagers have said this year's extreme heat has left them feeling "powerless" and "hopeless" for the future, with experts explaining that climate anxiety is a sense of fear and worry linked to the changing climate.

Rebecca Fulford, 21, from Gloucestershire, said: "Often it feels like young people have the most expectation on them to take action. However they also have the least power."

Professor Dan O'Hare from Bristol University urged parents to validate the emotions of children who are dealing with climate anxiety, warning it can leave them feeling isolated.

Nearly two-thirds of secondary school children (about 3.4 to 3.6 million pupils) experience mental health symptoms linked to environmental concern, according to the British Science Association.

Elsie Brewer, 18, and Dylan Martch-Harry, 21, both from Wiltshire, said they have experienced climate anxiety first hand as a result of 2026's hottest summer on record and reading news headlines.

Brewer said that she sometimes feels "powerless", questioning what she can do that will make a change.

"But then at the same time if I just ignore it and forget about it so that I don't get anxious about it, nothing will change," she added.

Martch-Harry studied environmental science at university, where he said he was exposed to the realities of climate change that his peers are unaware of.

This includes devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022 when about a third of the country was submerged.

Martch-Harry said we need to all "do our part" by volunteering or thinking before buying things and doing certain activities.

He said: "Within this country we are very sheltered to the impacts of climate change, a lot of people I know just don't really know the overall impact that's happening globally."

While Brewer believes community action is important, she said that real change can be made with more large-scale decisions on climate change by the government.

Lauren Dicken, a community engagement assistant from Bath, who works at the youth-led environmental and educational charity Another Way, describes climate anxiety as a "rational" response that is experienced differently by various people.

Dicken has a chronic illness which she said is exacerbated by heat, making this summer's heatwaves challenging for her.

"I think it was the first time for a lot of people [where] they were like, "Oh it's here and it's real and it's affecting me and people I care about and vulnerable people and people all across the UK'," she said.

Dicken works with numerous young people raising awareness about climate change and hosts monthly drop-in sessions where people with climate anxiety can talk about their feelings.

"Knowing that you're part of the solution in some ways [rather] than part of the problem really helps me," she said.

Educational psychologist Dan O'Hare from the University of Bristol said he believed climate anxiety is not limited to emotions of concern.

He said: "It might be anxiety and worry, but it might also be anger and rage.

"You cannot separate the physical and the psychological, the physical experience of our changing climate affects our psychological state as well," he added.

Mental Health UK, a charity promoting positive wellbeing, suggest getting involved with youth action small groups is one way for young people to feel more at ease.

The Great Big Climate Circus, run by Creative Sustainability based in Gloucestershire, is a project aimed at helping young people reconnect with nature in a fun way.

According to statistics from the Woodland Trust, almost one in three people aged 16-24 (33%) are scared when hearing about climate change.

Honour Binning, the project manager at Creative Sustainability, said the group avoid focusing on climate "doom and gloom", as many young people reported facing climate anxiety already.

Leo, who also attends the group, said: "The most worrying part of climate change is the food and water shortages."

He said that "clear, sustained evidenced-action with clear impacts" will help young people to feel less anxious.

"I am very new to this group, but I am very hopeful, from meeting like-minded activists to help cause change which makes me more hopeful," he added.

Adam Gain, activities lead at Creative Sustainability, said children being exposed to climate anxiety during their formative years can have a "detrimental" impact.

He said: "There's a lack of climate education."

"It's really hard to balance feeding people the honest truth and the facts and mitigating against the mental health impact of that as well," Gain added.

Fulford, who is also part of the climate group, said: "From the responses we have collected at events, it is clear that young people want to see an increase in the education they receive on the climate crisis and direct engagement from local and national leaders."

Professor Myles-Jay Linton advised climate-anxious people to find a community of people feel the same way.

He recommended, "joining community groups and local initiatives where you can identify other people who recognise this as a challenge and then come up with joint action so that [it] does not feel so overwhelming."

Lizzie Testani from Bristol Climate and Nature Partnership, a network aiming to steer Bristol towards being net-zero, said people should focus on what they can do and what they are already doing.

Testani said: "Find out what else is happening and look for the types of things that feel a part of the solution. Think about and prioritise how you can stay well - your wellbeing is really important."

The company hold monthly 'Green Mingling' sessions where people across the city can come together and share ideas around maintaining a healthy climate.

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