Great Britain is also suffering from extreme temperatures these days. The island seems unprepared for this weather.
Update from July 19, 1:40 p.m .: Great Britain has broken the temperature record. According to preliminary data on Tuesday, 39.1 degrees Celsius were measured in Charlwood in the English county of Surrey. The previous record in the UK was 38.7 degrees, set in Cambridge in 2019. Temperatures were expected to continue to rise as the day progressed.
Heat in Britain: Temperature records expected – “difficult 48 hours”
First message : London — “We have a difficult 48 hours ahead of us,” Kit Malthouse, a British minister, described the weather situation in Britain to the BBC . The heat wave has the island firmly in its grip. Already on Monday (18.7) there were reports of a melted runway in Luton. Weather officials are now expecting more temperature records for the UK.
Heat in Great Britain: Red warning level for the first time — “We even have some 43 values in the model”
Warning level red: This has not been in the weather reports in Great Britain so far. For the first time, the Met Office , the UK’s national weather service, is warning of the heat at the highest level this summer. According to the Met Office , Tuesday night was the warmest since records began. Temperatures of up to 42 degrees are expected on Tuesday. “41 is not off the table. We even have some 43’s in the model but we hope they [the temperatures] won’t be that high,” Met Office CEO Penelope Endersby told the BBC .
41 is not off the table. We even have some 43s in the model, but we’re hoping that they [the temperatures] won’t be that high.
If confirmed, it would be the highest temperature ever recorded in Britain. The previous temperature record is 38.7 degrees and was measured in Cambridge in 2019.
The warning for Tuesday (July 19) covers large parts of England – from London in the south to Manchester and York in the north and from Gloucester to Chelmsford. There is also an orange warning for Wales and the rest of England, the second tier. The British weather service Met Office issued a red weather warning for the first time at the end of last week due to heat.
According to wetter.de , the climate in Great Britain in July is usually rather mild:
| Usual climate in United Kingdom in july | |
| Mean temperature minimum | 13 degrees Celsius |
| Mean maximum temperature | 20 degrees Celsius |
| Highest measured temperature | 38.7 degrees Celsius |
Heat in Britain: Hardly any air conditioning, runway failure and melted runway
Is the UK prepared for this heat? No, according to the CBC . Most homes, schools and small businesses would not have air conditioning. The Met Office therefore warns not to underestimate the danger. The heat, which is increasingly hitting Germany, can also be dangerous for healthy people. In addition, the failure of heat-sensitive systems is expected. This could also affect local electricity or other essential services such as water or cell phone services.
Not only that: On Monday, Luton Airport announced that the extreme heat had already damaged the surface of a runway. In addition, rail traffic has been paralyzed in large parts of the country since Tuesday morning. As the route network operator Network Rail announced, operations on the main railway lines along the English east coast and in the Midlands have been completely discontinued.
People have been urged to change their travel plans. According to forecasts, temperatures are expected to drop again from Wednesday, according to the weather service. Meanwhile, forest fires are raging in southern Europe due to the heat, and residents have to be evacuated. (chd/dpa)
