As a result of a heatwave, Great Britain and large parts of Europe are experiencing record-breaking temperatures.
The Weather Channel reported Monday that the mercury reached 40.2 degrees Celsius (or about 104 degrees Fahrenheit) at 12:50 p.m. at London’s Heathrow Airport. Outside of London, several other locations also beat the U.K.’s previous national record in July 2019.
These extreme temperatures can prove to be deadly in a country with few homes that have air conditioning or are not prepared for the heat.
Travel across Europe and the UK has been affected by the heat. Due to heat damage to one runway, Luton Airport north of London had to cancel flights.
Heat has also caused deaths and injuries in Western Europe. Some parts of Europe have even experienced fires.
Motorbike, car and fence panels badly damaged by fire outside home on Church Road in Croydon. A woman left the building before the Brigade arrived and was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation 📷 @DRNimages1 https://t.co/96J0lB4QoN pic.twitter.com/VbPTgwOJ9P
— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 19, 2022
The Weather Channel reported that more than 31,000 people were evacuated in France due to wildfires in Gironde.
The report stated that Spain and Portugal had reported at most 748 heat-related deaths this month.
According to GB News, a 14-year-old boy who jumped in the River Thames seems to have drowned.
“His passing is tragic and I can’t imagine the pain his family will go through.” Metropolitan Police Superintendent Richard Smith said that all their thoughts were with them.
He cautioned that young people might be tempted to cool off in open water, rivers, or reservoirs on hot days such as today. “Please don’t. These dangers are real, and we saw the horrible consequences when they go wrong in Richmond.
GB News reported that one regional service claimed that the number of open flames could have tripled in the week. The Met Office also warned that the Met Office was warning that the majority of England was at extreme risk. One fire in London’s eastern region required more than 100 firefighters to control. There have been no injuries reported from the London fires so far.
Patrick Goulbourne, the assistant commissioner for operational resilience control and control at London Fire Brigade (LFB), urged residents to avoid setting bonfires or cooking out. Many of the fires in the city were started by dry grass. LFB also requested a temporary ban on disposable grills. These are very popular among urban Britons who love to cook in parks.
A major incident has been declared in London after a “huge surge” in fires across the capital on the UK’s hottest-ever day
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) July 19, 2022
There have been at most two instances where police officers had to open windows to rescue dogs from hot cars.
Some blame climate change for the extreme heat. The Weather Channel also included a paragraph that speculated on how many heat waves Europe could experience due to “global climate gas emissions”. This is because everything in the channel blames climate change.
Prince Charles also spoke out about the importance of environmental action, telling the audience that the climate crisis is a real emergency and it is essential to address it.
Pray for Europe and the UK as they face this heatwave.
