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The UK broke its century-old heat record for the second time in 24 hours on Tuesday as a spring heat wave continued to scorch parts of Western Europe, prompting government warnings about health risks.
Temperatures of 35 C were recorded at London’s Kew Gardens and Heathrow airports, Britain’s Met Office said, breaking the record of 34.8 C set the previous day at Kew. The temporary reading broke the long-term record of 32.8 C set in 1922 and tied in 1944.
London also recorded a rare “tropical night”, defined as one where the temperature did not drop below 20C.
Records were also broken in France, where temperatures reached 36 C on Monday in the south-west of the country and remained above 20 C at night.
Several drownings have been reported in Britain and France as people try to cool off.
The national weather agency, Meteo-France, said the “heat dome,” which has heat trapped by high-pressure weather, is producing temperatures more than 10 degrees above normal for this time of year.
‘Incredibly Crazy’
Unpredictable and extreme weather is becoming more frequent as the Earth warms. Experts say the unprecedented dangerous weather that strikes at unusual times and in unusual places puts many people at risk.
“We know without a doubt that heat wave events like this have been made more likely and more severe due to climate change resulting from our emissions of greenhouse gases,” said Peter Thorne, director of the ICARUS Climate Research Center at Maynooth University in Ireland. “But, nevertheless, most of the records being recorded, especially in the UK and France, are incredibly crazy.”
Temperatures hit a record high in London as residents battled a heatwave that blanketed large parts of the United Kingdom.
After a long UK weekend that sent people flocking to beaches, lakes and shady parks, London commuters plunged into air-conditioned underground trains on Tuesday. Trains to and from the busy Waterloo station were disrupted by reports of smoke on the tracks.
In Scotland, firefighters worked through the night to extinguish a grass fire that sent smoke billowing from Arthur’s Seat, a rocky hill above Edinburgh.
Outbreak of drowning
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber health warning for large parts of the country until Thursday, warning of a potential health risk, especially for the elderly, during the hottest times of the day. The UK is used to standard temperatures, and many homes, schools and businesses do not have air conditioning.
At least three teenagers have drowned in UK lakes and ponds, while a 60-year-old man died at sea in south-west England, authorities said.
French government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon said there had been reports of at least seven deaths possibly related to the high temperatures, including five drownings and two deaths at sporting events.
The early heat wave came ahead of the annual summer window when lifeguards watch bathers at popular beaches, increasing risks.
On France’s Atlantic coast, where beautiful beaches have strong surf spots, officials reported an emergency at the beach, with two people drowning Sunday in popular resorts in the southwestern Gironde region.
The district’s chief executive, Sophie Brocas, urged beachgoers to “be very careful.”
The uncontrollable heat has spread to Spain, where weather service spokesman Ruben del Campo said “we find ourselves with mid-summer temperatures now in the month of May.”
He said Seville hit 38C over the weekend, while large parts of the Iberian Peninsula saw temperatures five to 10 degrees above normal.
And in Rome, temperatures were expected to reach 32 C on Tuesday.
