UK weather forecast: Hottest ever temperature recorded at 39.1C

Scientists have repeatedly warned that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer and hotter due to the human-caused climate crisis

The UK has recorded its hottest temperature ever as an extreme heatwave fuelled by the human-caused climate emergency grips the country.

Temperatures of 39.1C were recorded in Charlwood Surrey on Tuesday, the highest ever measured in the UK. The previous record stood at 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.

The Met Office issued the UK’s first “red extreme” heat alert while the government declared a national heatwave emergency for the first time, saying even fit and healthy people were at risk of death from blistering temperatures.

The record-high comes after climate scientists have repeatedly warned that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, longer and hotter due to the human-induced climate crisis.

The UK has already recorded its warmest night on record with temperatures in some places not falling below 25C. And on Monday the UK struggled to cope with temperatures of 38C, with some flights disrupted as runways melted and around a third of children staying away from schools.

Today there have already been cancellations and delays on the railway network and health authorities have called on members of the public to stay inside during the hottest hours.

Scientists say that temperatures that formerly constituted ‘extreme’ are now considered to be unusual, while those which were previously all but impossible are the new definition of extreme.

A heatwave that would have occurred once in 10 years in the latter half of the 19th century will now occur 2.8 times over 10 years and be 1.2C hotter, according to scientific analysis.

In the UK, the Met Office predicts 35C temperatures could happen once every three years by the end of the decade.

That’s because greenhouse gases emitted mainly from burning fossil fuels have increased global average temperatures by more than 1C since the latter half of the 19th century - known as pre-industrial times.

If we reach 2C of global heating, scientists say a heatwave that would have occurred once in 10 years in the latter half of the 19th century will occur 5.6 times over the same period and be 2.6C hotter.

In May, the World Meteorological Organization warned there was a 50:50 chance the global temperature will temporarily reach 1.5C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years.

This would be a significant moment because the 2015 Paris Agreement aims to keep the average temperature to no more than 1.5C higher in order to prevent the worst damage from climate change.

The pace of change has taken some experts aback.

Aidan McGivern, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said even last year he didn’t expect to see temperatures of more than 39C appearing on UK weather forecast maps.

“I thought these temperatures would turn up occasionally in Spain in the summer,” he posted on Twitter. “I never expected them to appear on UK maps.”