The UK’s sweltering heatwave is proof that Newcastle must “move further, faster” to combat the climate emergency, city leaders say.
Tuesday has been the country’s hottest day on record, with temperatures topping 40C for the first time, while highs of 37C were forecast in Newcastle.
The extreme weather has prompted serious health warnings and concerns about people swimming in rivers or the sea to cool off, after a number of deaths including a teenage boy in the River Tyne near Ovingham in Northumberland. It has also caused a spate of wildfires and led to transport chaos, with train services across the nation cancelled and Tyne and Wear Metro passengers advised not to travel.
