Britain has recorded its hottest day of the year so far, as the country basks in the heatwave brought by an “enormous” bubble of warm air from the Sahara.
A temperature of 34C was recorded at Heathrow on Saturday afternoon – soaring past the 33C highs experienced in the Caribbean island of Jamaica today.
Temperatures were set to climb further this afternoon, with the south east expected to see the most intense conditions and highs of 35C forecast for London.
The Saharan winds that have been spreading scorching temperatures across the continent don't look set to give Europe a break today.
Temperatures could reach new record-highs again in France, Belgium and Switzerland. In Spain, officials are warning that more ‘significant’ wildfires could break out as the mercury reaches 45C.
See how the heatwave unfolded below
The beach is absolutely packed in Bournemouth...
Some 75,000 revellers are expected throughout the day. Roads are gridlocked and there are huge queues for ice cream stands and inflatable toys.
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If you come across a dog that’s been left alone in a car on a hot day, the RSPCA recommends taking action if you suspect that its health could be in danger.
This is what you should do if you see a dog trapped in a hot car
It’s important to take immediate action if the dog is displaying signs of heatstrokeIf you come across a dog that’s been left alone in a car on a hot day, the RSPCA recommends taking action if you suspect that its health could be in danger.
This is what you should do if you see a dog trapped in a hot car
It’s important to take immediate action if the dog is displaying signs of heatstroke
Good morning on this beautiful Saturday and welcome to our rolling coverage of the heatwave that’s sweeping across Europe.
Today is set to be the hottest day of 2019 so far in the UK as temperatures will climb to 35C in London.
Temperatures will hit 40C again in parts of Europe.
The Met Office says it will be very hot and sunny across southeastern, central and southern England.
The highest temperatures are expected in the afternoon.
Here’s what forecasters were saying yesterday:
Saturday to be ‘hottest of 2019’ as police issue heatwave warning
Three people dead in 24 hours amid rising temperatures across UKIf you’re in Yorkshire, where temperatures are expected to reach 30C later today, and were considering a dip in the reservoirs to cool off – don’t do it!
Yorkshire Water are warning temperatures in the water are as low as 12C a dip could lead to thermal shock and fatal consequences.
“Just a short swim can result in a tragic loss of life and we want to once again ask people to stay out of our reservoirs,” says Alastair Harvey, Yorkshire Water’s Recreation Advisor.
“People sometimes do not understand how dangerous they can be.”
The company has issued a statement on its website.
Travellers, plan ahead: the soaring temperatures could bring disruption to the rail and road network.
RAC patrol of the year Ben Aldous warned that the forecast conditions could be “a recipe for a soaring number of breakdowns in certain parts of the country”.
“It’s a sad reality that some drivers will likely encounter an unwelcome and unscheduled stop at the side of the road,” he said. “They will have to hope they can find some safe shelter from the sun, but it could still mean they suffer some day trip distress.”
Network Rail warns that the hot weather could push track temperatures above 50C and slow operations or cause breakdowns – especially on tourist routes.
According to Network Rail, steel rails absorb heat easily and tend to hover about 20C above the surrounding air temperature. In very hot conditions rails can flex, bend or even buckle, so trains have to run at slower speeds.
Councils have been urged to use emergency powers to protect rough sleepers in the hot weather.
Heather Wheeler, the minister for housing and homelessness, has written to local authorities encouraging them to trigger their Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) to “ease the pressure on vulnerable people”.
“No one should be forced to sleep on the streets – especially during a period of extreme weather,” said Ms Wheeler.
Rough sleepers may find it difficult to find drinking water and sun protection and will be at an increased risk of dehydration, sunburn and sunstroke. Their needs likely to be most urgent in daylight hours.
Forms of support could include free water and sunscreen, the provision of cool daytime spaces and links to healthcare. Members of the public concerned about the welfare of a rough sleeper can use the streetlink.org.uk website or app to alert local authorities.
The Met Office says UV levels will be very high across England and South Wales.– especially in the early afternoon.
Wear a top, a hat and carry sunscreen!
It won’t be sunny and scorching hot everywhere… The Met Office says thunderstorms could develop in southeastern Scotland and northeastern England throughout the day.
It’s now official. Today is the hottest day of the year so far after temperatures reached 30.8C in Charlwood.
Britons unused to the scorching weather will need to take precautionary measures to ensure they don't suffer from heat exhaustion or heatstroke.
My colleague Sabrina Barr has put together a useful guide to what you need to know:
How to spot and treat the signs of heatstroke
Temperatures expected to reach 32C in Britain this weekendMeanwhile, a wildfire that broke out on Tuesday in Catalonia is still ravaging the area, and authorities are saying it has become the most serious fire the region has seen in 20 years.
Catalan firefighters say the situation is “critical” and firefighters are currently “defending themselves” from the fire.
Miquel Buch, the Catalan interior minister, says 21 people involved in firefighting duties required medical assistance overnight.
“We are in the worst hours of the day,” the Catalan firefighters said on Twitter. “We are containing the fire. In the coming hours, firefighters will go from defending themselves to attacking the fire. The situation is still critical.”
Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control, but wind and sizzling temperatures could give the blaze fresh impetus. Spanish forecasting office AEMET says temperatures have risen to 41C again in Tarragona.
The cause of the wildfire is thought to be a pile of manure that spontaneously combusted after temperatures soared to 44C.
In France's southwestern Gard region, where France's highest temperature on record was registered yesterday at 45.9C, scores of fires burned some 600 hectares of land and destroyed several houses and vehicles.
More than 700 firefighters and 10 aircraft were mobilised to tackle the fires in the Gard, some of which caused sections of motorways to be temporarily closed. Several firefighters were hurt but no serious injuries were reported.
French media said a man had been arrested for deliberately starting fires in one Gard village.
Temperatures are still above 40C in southwestern France, and forecasters say the heatwave won't end before tomorrow evening.
Paris is experiencing the hottest day of the heatwave today – it's 36C there.
Here's a quick recap of all new records and facts about this heatwave:
- France: Temperatures set a new record high in France yesterday, smashing the previous one. it was 45.9C in Gallargues-le-Montueux, but at least 12 French towns broke the previous record-high of 44.1C. Paris banned driving older cars to curb heatwave-related pollution.
- Spain: Today, unusually high temperatures above 43 degrees were forecast across Spain – for the fourth day in a row. A pile of manure caught fire and developed into Catalonia's most severe fire in the last 20 years.
- Germany: June 2019 was the hottest and sunniest month since records began. Some 51 observing stations recorded new June temperature records, including the highest-ever: 38.6 °C on 26 June.
- Austria had its warmest June on record, 4.5C above the long-term average for the month.
- Italy: The heat killed at least three people, while hospitals in Milan saw a 35 per cent rise in emergency visits due to heat-related conditions.
- Switzerland: More than half of Switzerland’s observing stations measured new June temperature records on Wednesday.
The World Meteorological Organisation say this prolonged, stifling heatwave is “absolutely consistent” with extremes linked to the impact of greenhouse gas emissions.
Temperatures have hit 33C in Heathrow and Northolt, the Met Office says.
The 33C recorded earlier today sets a new record temperature for 2019, and the mercury is expected to keep rising.
Readings of 33C were taken at Heathrow and elsewhere in west London.
The Met Office said temperatures are expected to rise as high as 34C – falling just short of the 35.6C June record set in 1976.
Meanwhile, the beach is packed in Bournemouth…
Some 75,000 people are expected throughout the day. Roads are gridlocked into the Dorset town and there are huge queues for ice cream stands and inflatable toys.
