The British Meteorological Service issued Friday, July 15 for the first time a red alert "
extreme heat
" for Monday and Tuesday in England in anticipation of temperatures that could exceed records or even the threshold of 40 ° C.
“
Exceptional, possibly record high temperatures are likely early next week
,” Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the UK Met Office, said in a statement.
“
There is currently a 50% chance that we will see temperatures reach 40°C and an 80% chance that new maximum temperatures will be reached
,” he added.
Consequence of global warming
The record heat ever recorded in the United Kingdom stands at 38.7°C, recorded at the Botanic Garden in Cambridge (east of England) on July 25, 2019. “
Exceptionally warm
” nights are also expected, particularly in urban areas.
“
We hoped never to come to this situation, but for the first time we have forecasts that exceed 40°C in the UK
”, said Dr Nikos Christidis, climate specialist at the Met Office, pointing out that “
warming climate already influences the possibility of extreme temperatures in the country
”: the risks of reaching 40°C “
could be 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a natural climate which would not be affected by human influence
”.
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The Met Office points out that "
the frequency, duration and intensity of these events in recent decades are clearly linked to global warming and can be attributed to human activity
".