Britain bakes on year’s hottest day
As forecasters warn of 93F to come...
BRITAIN recorded the hottest day of the year yesterday at 28C (82F).
The warm weather has been driven by hot air from Spain and Portugal, where temperatures have topped 40C (104F).
Temperatures are set to rise today, with predicted highs of 29C (84F) in London and the surrounding area.
The hot weather is expected to climb to a 34C (93F) ‘crescendo’ in the South East tomorrow with the rest of England and Wales set to see between 27C (81F) and 30C (86F).
Britain’s highest recorded June temperature was 35.6C ( 96F) at Southampton Mayflower Park on June 28 1976.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: ‘We have got high pressure at the moment so we are getting a certain amount of natural homegrown heat building up because obviously we have got clear skies and fairly dry ground conditions across southern England.
‘We have also got warmer air being brought up from further south in Europe where there has been a major heat incident, particularly in Iberia, so that’s leading to the sort of crescendo we will see on Friday.’
He said temperatures will potentially peak on Friday.
Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Centre, said: ‘Climate change has increased the average temperature of UK summers, and it is also increasing the likelihood of experiencing more extreme temperatures.
‘Reaching 34C during June is a rare, but not unprecedented, event in the historical climate records for the UK. But if it should happen this week it would be notable that it would have occurred on three days during the last six Junes.’
Healthcare staff have been told to plan for how the hot weather will affect patients, after a level-three heat-health alert was issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency for most of south- east and eastern England.
Meanwhile, motoring group the RAC warned of a ‘short sharp spike in breakdowns’ and advised drivers to check oil and coolant levels.