• A heatwave that is engulfing Europe reached its peak on Tuesday in Britain. Temperatures reached 40C (104F), causing train lines to break and igniting a string of fires.
• Previous record was 38.7C set in 2019, which has not yet been validated. The hitherto unimaginable temperature in London, according to climatologists, is likely to become more typical in the years to come.
• The majority of the infrastructure, which dates from the Victorian era, “was just not intended to endure this type of warmth,” an official said.

Reuters, July 19, LONDON – A heatwave that is engulfing Europe reached its peak on Tuesday in Britain, reaching 40C (104F), causing train lines to break and igniting a string of fires throughout London.

The tentative record, which has not yet been validated, was set at London’s Heathrow Airport at 12:50 PM (1150 GMT), breaking the previous high of 38.7C set in 2019.

In his career, British temperatures had not been something Stephen Belcher of the Met Office had anticipated.

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According to research done at the Met Office, it is practically impossible for the UK to experience temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius in an unaltered environment. However, climate change brought on by greenhouse gases has made these extreme temperatures conceivable.

As the temperature continued to rise, trains from London to the country’s east and west coasts were cancelled, electrical providers reported widespread outages, and normally crowded city centres seemed empty. Several images posted to Twitter by Network Rail show rail rails that have sharp curves and kinks.

Homes in the village of Wennington to the east of the city were completely destroyed by a massive fire that tore through nearby tinder-dry fields and drew near a mediaeval church. Large grassy areas outside the capital were on fire, and the smoke they produced covered important routes and the surroundings.

The London Fire Brigade issued a major incident declaration and asked people to halt grilling.

Britain had declared a national emergency due to the record-breaking temperatures, as the country often struggles to maintain essential transportation services in excessive heat or snow.

British heat wave

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On July 19, 2022, a car passes by a fire that is burning in east London, Britain. Tony O’Brien for Reuters

NOT TO TRAVEL
Travel had been significantly disrupted, according to Grant Shapps, minister of transportation.

The majority of the infrastructure, which dates from the Victorian era, “was just not intended to endure this type of warmth,” he claimed.

The hitherto unimaginable temperature in London, according to climatologists, is likely to become more typical in the years to come.

Professor of macroeconomics and climate change at the European University Institute, Sony Kapoor, asserted that he had long believed that the physical effects of climate change in the modern era were underappreciated. But even I didn’t anticipate temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius in London in 2022, he admitted.

The “net zero” pledges made by the contenders vying to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister have come under the spotlight due to the onset of a blazing heatwave that initially ignited wildfires across Europe before reaching Britain.

Johnson advocated the transition to net zero status when Britain hosted the United Nations COP26 meeting in 2021, but some of the candidates to succeed him have come across as less enthusiastic and have prioritised other issues affecting the nation.

Kemi Badenoch, one of the candidates, stated that while she supported reducing carbon emissions, she opposed doing so at the expense of the economy.

Multiple huge fans were used to keep lawmakers cool as they subsequently gathered in the House of Commons to announce Badenoch’s removal from the tournament.