Temperatures are surging in the UK because of blistering heat in Europe being pulled towards parts of this country. Britons are set to sizzle on what could be the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures predicted to possibly hit 33C today.
The Met Office has said the mercury in central, southern and eastern England will soar on Monday afternoon amid a heatwave blasting the nation. Parts of the country will be hotter than some of the world’s top beach destinations, including areas in Jamaica, the Maldives and the Bahamas, with the hot weather set to last until the weekend.
The UK’s record high for 2022 currently stands at 32.7C, recorded at Heathrow on June 17. A heat-health alert has been issued for some parts of the UK this week, with those in affected areas advised to shade or cover windows and check on the vulnerable and the elderly.
However, the hot spell in the UK looks set to subside later in the week, when a cold front is expected to start pushing in. But the searing heat is set to continue causing massive problems on the continent with more than 3,000 firefighters and 60 aircraft battling wildfires in Portugal that authorities said had injured 29 people.
Officials said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes, as reported by Portuguese state television RTP and other local media. The Portuguese weather agency predicts temperatures of up to 45C (113F) in Alentejo - the region between Lisbon and the Algarve - from Tuesday with the rest of the country expecting temperatures in the high 30Cs and low 40Cs.
Winds of almost 40mph are also expected in several regions. Other nations are suffering similar heat hazards with 1,000 firefighters backed by water-dropping planes battling a large forest fire in south-east France, which had forced the evacuation of nearby villages during the weekend.
In Spain, temperatures were forecast to climb to 42C (107F) in some areas. Baking sunshine combined with the hot air from North Africa caused the mercury to rise, state meteorological forecasters AEMET said. Highest recorded temperature on Sunday was 43C (110F) by the Guadalquivir river near Seville in southern Spain and in Badajoz, towards the west of the country, forecasters said.
Italy has also suffered a prolonged heatwave already this summer, enduring its worst drought in 70 years that has raised fears for crop harvests.
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