June in the UK will be the hottest since records began almost 140 years ago, setting the scene for another summer of unprecedented high temperatures.
(Bloomberg) — June in the UK will be the hottest since records began almost 140 years ago, setting the scene for another summer of unprecedented high temperatures.
Temperatures reached 32.2C (89.96F) and a heat wave was declared across large swathes of the country, with a two week period when the mercury rose above 25C almost every day, the Met Office said. The heat is expected to break this week, but lower temperatures won’t be enough to prevent the current record, set in 1940, being broken.
Climate change is a big contributor to the hotter, drier weather conditions, meaning there’s an increased chance that July will also see it’s share of heat waves, with temperatures expected to again top 30C. Last summer, temperatures exceeded 40C for the first time in the UK, as rivers dried out across Europe and wildfires raged, pushing the region’s infrastructure to the brink and contributing to volatility in energy and commodity prices.
Read More: European Gas Edges Higher as Market Turns Focus to Hot July
“While the UK has always had periods of warm weather, what climate change does is increase the frequency and intensity of these warm weather events, increasing the likelihood of high temperature records being broken, like we saw for 2022’s annual temperature for the UK,” said Mike Kendon, a climate information scientist working for the National Climate Information Centre.
These more extreme temperatures are having an impact on health and also straining local resources, as is the case with water, which is already facing increased demand this year.
Read More: UK Faces Early Hosepipe Ban as Drinking Water Stocks Run Low
Record Water Demand
Record temperatures have driven people to use more water than ever to fill pools and water lawns, leading authorities to impose a hosepipe ban in the south East of England. The measure came into place on Monday, far earlier than last year, and with high temperatures expected over the summer there’s a chance the measure might be extended to other regions.
(Updates with details from the third paragraph.)
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