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LONDON. – For the first time since 1976, parts of the UK were yesterday sweltering in temperatures that reached 40.3 degrees Celsius.
It’s the first time those temperatures have ever been recorded in the UK, according to the Met Office, which also issued its first-ever “Red Extreme” heat warning for parts of England. The warning kicked yesterday and lasts until today..
The level of risk the UK now faces from extreme heat is unprecedented. But this isn’t a one-off event. The nation is going to have to brace for dangerous heat much more often, forecasters warn.
“We hoped we wouldn’t get to this situation,” said Met Office climate attribution scientist Nikos Christidis. “Climate change has already influenced the likelihood of temperature extremes in the UK.”
As a result, 40-degree days in the UK are now as much as 10 times more likely than they would be “under a natural climate unaffected by human influence,” according to Christidis. The current record high temperature in the UK is 38.7°C.
France, Spain, and Portugal are grappling with extreme heat this week, too — which is fueling raging wildfires in parts of Europe. But a typically cooler region like the UK might have even more to do to adapt to a different kind of climate. – Theverge.com
Online Reporter