A temperature of 40.2C has been recorded at the airport, which is extremely unlikely without climate change.

Environment 19 July 2022 , updated 19 July 2022

The author is Adam Vaughan.

Sign on motorway warning of severe weather

There is a sign on the M4 motorway.

Matthew Horwood is a photographer.

The UK is experiencing its hottest day on record, with a temperature of 40.2C recorded at London's Heathrow Airport.

It was the hottest night in history, with a minimum temperature of 25.8C in Kenley, London, smashing the previous record of 23.9C inBrighton in 1990.

A heat wave has blanketed the country, closing schools, putting pressure on hospitals and disrupting transportation. According to scientists, a UK temperature of 40C would be extremely unlikely without climate change, and that every heatwave now has been made more likely and more intense by global warming.

Humans are to blame for the temperature being as high as they are. Friederike Otto says that they are certain about this.

There are forest fires in France, Greece, Portugal and Spain. Many parts of those countries were warned of a very extreme danger of fire, with warnings extended as far north as the Netherlands and the UK. Hundreds of deaths have been blamed on the heat and thousands of people have been evacuated.

Government ministers from more than 40 countries are in Berlin for annual climate change talks, discussing help for low income countries and how to cut carbon emissions faster. The UN secretary general said that countries were not doing enough to tackle climate change. We have to make a decision. He said in a statement that it was either collective action or collective suicide.

Wales had a record high of 37.1C on July 18th. People were encouraged to stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. The UK government has said there is no public health reason for school closings.

According to Hannah Cloke at the University of Reading, severe heatwaves will get worse. Poor design of our buildings and cities is intolerable. Reducing overheating, shading trees, building for cooling and providing public cooling spaces are some of the things that need to be considered.

Many people don't get enough sleep during the hot summer months. There is evidence that sleep deprivation can cause mental health problems.

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