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The United Kingdom is reporting record temperatures as high as 40 degrees celsius as an intense heat wave continues to cause upheaval across the European continent.
The U.K. Met office confirmed Tuesday that the country’s highest ever temperature was recorded in London, with the city’s Heathrow Airport reporting a temperature of 40.2 degrees celcius (104F) shortly before 13:00 local time Tuesday. Summer temperatures in London typically hover around 21 degrees during the middle of July.
Not only was the reading a nationwide record, but officials confirmed it was also the first time in recorded history that the country had surpassed 40 degrees celsius. At London’s Luton Airport, specialists were called to undertake essential repairs after reports that the runway had buckled under the heat.
Meanwhile, the heatwave covers other parts of Europe, with officials attributing over 1,100 deaths in Spain and Portugal to excessively high temperatures. Another heavily affected country is France, where wildfires have forced thousands to evacuate southwestern parts of the country.
The unprecedented heat wave has caused major alarm among climate change campaigners, who warn that the world can expect to see more ferocious heat as a result of global warming unless “radical action” is taken on a “massive scale.”
The U.S. has also experienced severe heat waves of late, with eight states declaring heat alerts at the end of June as 70 percent of Americans faced temperatures of at least 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32C). According to the BBC, extreme heat kills more Americans every year than any other weather-related hazard.
Ben Kew is English Editor of El American. He studied politics and modern languages at the University of Bristol where he developed a passion for the Americas and anti-communist movements. He previously worked as a national security correspondent for Breitbart News. He has also written for The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post, and The Independent
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Ben Kew es editor en inglés de El American. Estudió política y lenguas modernas en la Universidad de Bristol, donde desarrolló una pasión por las Américas y los movimientos anticomunistas. Anteriormente trabajó como corresponsal de seguridad nacional para Breitbart News. También ha escrito para The Spectator, Spiked, PanAm Post y The Independent.