Britain, France brace for hottest day as Europe fires rage
- British authorities have described the extreme heat as a ‘national emergency’
- Temperatures could reach 40 degrees Celsius on Tuesday – a record for England
Britain and France went on heatwave alert on Monday bracing for record temperatures as southwest Europe wilted under a scorching sun and ferocious wildfires devoured more forests.
Britain could hit 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) for the first time, forecasters said, causing havoc in a country unprepared for the onslaught of extreme heat that authorities said was putting lives at risk.
“This is entirely consistent with climate change,” chief meteorologist Paul Davies told Sky News, describing the “brutality” of the expected heat as “astounding”.
Britain’s current record temperature stands at 38.7 Celsius. Scientists blame climate change and predict more frequent and intense episodes of extreme weather.
London is predicted to be hotter than the Caribbean, the Western Sahara and popular holiday destinations in Europe as temperatures soar to record-breaking highs early this week.
The rise in temperatures has forced the Health Security Agency to issue a level 4 heat-health alert – described as an “emergency” – while the Met Office weather authority has issued its first “red warning”, with both running from Monday to Wednesday across swathes of England.