Authorities said they recorded a temperature of 40.2 degrees at Heathrow Airport in London at 11:50 GMT.
Earlier in the day, a record temperature of 39.1 degrees Celsius was set just before noon in Charleswood, near Gatwick Airport in southern England, exceeding the previous record of 38.7 degrees set in 2019, according to preliminary data from the Met Office.
Authorities expect the heat wave to intensify due to the heatwave that has already damaged airport runways and railroads.
The Met Office tweeted: “If confirmed, this will be the highest temperature recorded in the UK.” Authorities will need to confirm the equipment used in recording any temperature records before they can be officially announced.
The UK, which may be struggling to maintain basic transport services amid extreme temperatures or snowfall, has declared a “national emergency” due to unprecedented temperatures.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps said it would be years before the UK could fully upgrade its infrastructure to cope with rising temperatures, after at least two runways showed signs of damage and some railways the train is bent.
“We’ve seen a lot of travel disruptions,” he told the BBC. The infrastructure, mostly from the Victorian era, was not built to withstand these temperatures. ”
Source: Al-Akhbar
