For the first time since records began, a temperature above 40ºC was recorded in the UK, announced the British Meteorological Institute throught social media.

The temperature was recorded at 12:50 p.m. Tuesday at a weather station at London’s Heathrow airport.

The heat wave that is affecting Europe is causing record temperatures to be recorded in several parts of the south of the continent, including Portugal, where the heat wave is causing serious fires, but it is also affecting most of northern Europe.

????️ For the first time in history, 40 degrees Celsius has been provisionally exceeded in the United Kingdom

London Heathrow reported a temperature of 40.2°C at 12:50 today

???? Temperatures continue to rise in many places, so remember to stay #WeatherAware ⚠️#heat wave #heatwave2022 pic.twitter.com/GLxcR6gjZX

— MetOffice (@metoffice) July 19, 2022

In the UK a temperature of over 40ºC has never been recorded.

The exceptional temperatures recorded in the UK are causing a number of practical problems, including at Luton Airport, where part of the runway has even started to melt.

Portuguese in London: “It’s like the Alentejo”

For those who live in the United Kingdom, the days of extreme heat have essentially been dedicated to the search for refreshment and shade, as Catarina Pinto, a Portuguese citizen living in Hoxton, London, told Rádio Observador six years ago.

“It’s definitely much hotter. I had never felt this here,” said Catarina Pinto. “Because of the humidity, it is much worse. The situation is really suffocating, it’s like the Alentejo”.

The Portuguese also explained that the inhabitants of the British capital are receiving instructions from the authorities to avoid public transport as much as possible and stay at home.

For Catarina Pinto, another big problem has to do with the British infrastructure itself, which is more prepared for the cold than for the heat. Houses, for example, have a great capacity to retain the heat they accumulate during the day, which is making the British suffer inside their own homes.