Blogger News Network

July 19, 2006

Today has seen Britain's hottest recorded July day with temperatures hitting 36.3�C (97.3�F) in Charlwood in Surrey, near Gatwick Airport. Warm air from the Gulf Stream is raising the temperature, and the hot weather is causing the asphalt on some public roads to melt, requiring gritting.Some schools stayed closed on Wednesday, while others shut at lunchtime. Many school sports days have also been cancelled.

People have been advised to drink plenty of water, not go out in the midday sun and keep curtains closed to cool rooms. People have also been asked to check the most vulnerable, including the elderly, the young and the sick. The RSPCA has also told pet owners to try and keep their pets cool.

The heat wave has also hit northern France and the Netherlands, with 4 people reported dead due to heatstroke.

However, some areas aren't basking in the heat. Lerwick in the Shetland Islands is currently cloudy with fog, at only 18�C (64�F)

Weather forecasters have said that while the temperatures are not going to rise any further, it will get more humid as a band of showers arrive this evening, with night-time temperatures at 19�C in London and Cardiff, 14�C in Edinburgh and 18�C in Dublin.

Sources

• "Heatwave breaks record for July". BBC News, 19 July 2006
• "Britain braced for record temperatures". Reuters, 19 July 2006
• "Hottest day of century so far". RT� News, 18 July 2006