LAST week I spent two hours on the sand at Troon, wearing Factor 30 sunscreen, and came away burned to bright throbbing crimson.

On Sunday, at the allotment, there was nothing for it but to shelter in the shed as the heaven's opened and a deluge of rain poured down, leaving muddy big pools on the raised beds.

It feels like it hasn't stopped raining since, battering away until city streets are rivers deep enough for children to take a dingy along. Friends, neighbours, folk in the local shops - everywhere voices are complaining about the switch from hot sun to torrential rain.

Yet, compared to elsewhere, we have it easy.

In British Colombia, Canada, nearly 500 people may have been killed by record-breaking temperatures. Worse, officials have warned that the number may rise as more deaths are reported.

“We are releasing this information as it is believed likely the extreme weather BC has experienced in the past week is a significant contributing factor to the increased number of deaths,” the chief coroner, Lisa Lapointe, said.

In Japan, record rainfall triggered a mudslide, which ripped through a seaside town south-west of Tokyo and has left an estimated 100 people missing. Lashing rainfall exceeded the usual monthly total for July in just 24 hours.

This is climate change, triggering natural disasters and killing people in the process.

A stark report from Climate Ready Clyde, a coalition of 15 councils, universities, the NHS and infrastructure bodies, last week detailed how nearly two million people in Greater Glasgow face severe disruption from climate heating in the coming years with around 140,000 of the city's poorest residents those who will be the worst affected.

“Some of the people who can least afford it and are least culpable in creating climate change are the ones that are going to suffer more with poor housing; they will be suffering damp in the winter; they’ll be suffering excessive heat in the summer; public transport will be disrupted,” James Curran, the coalition’s chairman, said.

Looking ahead, the report predicted heatwaves, flash floods and droughts. Action must be taken now - and billions of pounds spend on making plans to help the city cope with what's coming.

The melting roof of Glasgow Science Centre will be the least of our worries.

We can see the dire effects of climate change in other countries. We have been issued with stark warnings about what lies ahead of us here, in our own city.

Glasgow Times: A dark sky over Glasgow shortly before heavy rain Picture: Colin Mearns

So why is there still so much resistance to making changes that are going to help head off serious problems?

With COP26 on the horizon in Glasgow, the environment and our carbon footprints are hot topics.

The Climate Ready Clyde report makes a number of suggestions about what the city and surrounding areas will have to do to protect residents, infrastructure and businesses.

But, as pointed out by Dr Richard Dixon, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, there is little mention in the report of tackling car use.

That's one of those topics that meets a lot more resistance than it should.

Every time we publish a story about increasing the number of cycle lanes around the city, people who resent bikes and prefer to drive become really agitated about whatever is suggested.

If these cycle lanes reduce road space or parking spaces for cars, they lose the plot.

George Square - and the city centre as a whole - really should become a car-free zone. It makes absolute sense on every level.

And yet folk can't cope with the idea of getting on a bus or train.

They would rather drive to a shopping mall with free parking. Look at the number of drive through restaurants and coffee shops that are springing up all around the city.

During the pandemic, being able to drive through for a meal or a drink has been really useful in keeping people safe, sane and helping the economy but, as a long term strategy, it's a disaster.

The time for gently weaning people away from their cars is long over.

We need a zero tolerance approach to people who drive when they don't need to and a far better attitude to those who are doing their best for the environment by using active travel.

It's not just drivers. It's those who are thoughtless, careless consumers. Those who choose convenience and instant gratification rather than thinking of the long term implications of their actions.

Major changes need to come from the top down - but government and big business won't make those changes unless there is pressure from consumers and voters.

At the climate change march in Glasgow two years ago I saw a brilliant sign. It simply said "Panic Now". Most of us could do with a bit more urgency here. Panic, but channel that panic into changes - or the heat deaths and mudslides will stories about us.