UK records its hottest day ever as temperatures hit 40.3C

A “major incident” has been declared in London as the UK bakes through its hottest day ever with temperatures surpassing Australia in summer.

Parts of Britain are ablaze after the country sweltered through its hottest day on record on Tuesday in conditions described as “absolute hell”.

The London Fire Brigade declared a “major incident” as several large fires raged across the capital. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the situation was “critical” as the fire service dealt with five times the usual number of call-outs.

According to the Met Office, the UK’s equivalent of the Bureau of Meteorology, no fewer than 34 weather stations around the country recorded their highest ever temperatures.

In multiple locations the mercury topped 40C for the first time since records began.

A record-breaking high of 40.3C was recorded the Royal Air Force base of Coningsby in Lincolnshire in England’s east.

Heathrow Airport, south west of London, got to 40.2C That was then equalled in St James’ Park in central London close to Buckingham Palace. Kew Gardens, in west London, reached 40.1C.

Britain has never seen temperatures in the forties before. The previous high was 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019.

Scotland broke its hottest day record registering 34.8C in Charterhall, a former airfield about 70kms south of Edinburgh.

The remarkable heat has been caused by desert air from the Sahara being blown north over much of western Europe.

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It's rather hot in the UK. Picture: Met Office

London hotter than most Australian capitals during summer

In contrast to the UK, the hottest days in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin and Brisbane so far this year have all been several degrees cooler than 40C. That means on Tuesday the UK temperature peak was officially hotter than any of those Australian cities managed at any time during the most recent summer. In 2022 so far Adelaide has only equalled the UK’s record high with 40.3C on January 11 but Perth did surpass it reaching 42.5C on February 5.

The sky-high temperatures have wreaked havoc across Britain, with roads melting, train services cancelled and planes diverted after a runway started to ooze tarmac.

Parts of Britain have seen severe fires after the country recorded its hottest ever day. Picture: Sky News.

Flames on a suburban street in London. Picture: Sky News.

Fires burning next to the A2 highway in Kent, southern England. Picture: Twitter.

‘Major incident’ declared

On Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures peaking, the London Fire Brigade declared a “major incident” as firefighters battled several significant fires across the city. The organisation pleaded with people not to call them unless it was a genuine emergency.

Fire brigades in Hertfordshire, just north of London, and Leicestershire, in the English midlands, have also now declared major incidents.

On a normal day the London fireys deal with fewer than 350 calls for help; on Tuesday that reached 1600 call-outs by later afternoon.

Large fires also occurred in Leeds, Kent and Norfolk.

Aerial footage from the UK’s Sky News showed multiple buildings ablaze in Wennington, a village in London’s east. Wind blew the flames from grassland to houses. Several homes were destroyed with 15 fire engines in attendance.

We have declared a major incident as firefighters battle several significant fires across the capital during today’s record-breaking heatwave. For the latest on those, follow this account @londonfirehttps://t.co/1ThCGrc33Kpic.twitter.com/Tp4J0l2Zkr

— London Fire Brigade (@LondonFire) July 19, 2022

Here are the highest temperatures across the country today 👇

At least 34 sites have exceeded the UK's previous national record of 38.7°C 🌡️#heatwave2022#heatwavepic.twitter.com/QwwfzLWZpc

— Met Office (@metoffice) July 19, 2022

Fire engine racing across Tower Bridge. Looks like smoke in east London. Air feels hot. pic.twitter.com/I3F1Ikk91U

— Ashley Armstrong (@AArmstrong_says) July 19, 2022

“I saw the black smoke and the helicopters came over and more police came into our neighbourhood and it was really spreading very fast,” Wennington resident Lynn Sabberton told Sky News.

“It just spread so quickly, I think the wind caused the fire to go our way towards the village.”

The huge fire could be seen by motorists on the busy M25 motorway that encircles London.

Flames were also seen close to the major A2 highway that links London with the cross Channel port of Dover.

Two people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation due to another fire at Dagenham in East London.

One firefighter told Sky conditions were “absolute hell”.

Fire engulfing a village to the east of London. Picture: Reuters.

London, Leeds, Kent and Norfolk have all seen major fires. Picture: Sky News.

Firefighters are stretched. Picture: Sky News.

Thousands of Brits worked from home to avoid the heat and the resulting chaos. Working from home is no longer recommended in the UK, unlike in Australia following the latest Covid health advice.

At least 171 schools closed their doors, while others told children to wear looser clothes instead of uniform.

Hospitals cancelled non-emergency operations as airconditioning units failed, and postmen were told to stop delivering mail because of the intense heat.

Members of the public cool off by jumping from the pier into Loch Lomond in Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

The Met Office issued its first ever red warning for heat and cautioned that “thousands could die” thanks to the heatwave.

Much of Western Europe is also sweltering as desert heat sweeps up from North Africa.

Areas of western France have been likened to a “heat apocalypse” with the mercury soaring into the forties as thousands of hectares of land burns in raging and deadly bushfires.

More than 1000 fatalities in mainland Europe have already been blamed on the heatwave.