LONDON, July 26 (Reuters) - A British record high temperature was recorded in Cambridge, eastern England, on Thursday, when a provisional reading of 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.66°F) was recorded at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, the Met Office said.

The current confirmed highest-ever temperature for Britain is 38.5 Celsius, recorded in Faversham, southeast England, in August 2003.

The new temperature will require quality control and analysis before being confirmed as the highest officially recorded in the UK, the Met office said on Friday. </s> A temperature of 38.7C has been recorded in Cambridge, which if validated would be a new record for the UK, the Met Office has said.

The figure was recorded at Cambridge University Botanic Gardens on Thursday, and will require “quality control and analysis” over the next few days, the forecasters said.

If validated it will become the highest temperature officially recorded in the UK, outstripping the 38.5C seen in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.

Official figures, which recorded 38.1C in Cambridge, already put Thursday as the hottest July day on record, beating the previous high for the month of 36.7C set at Heathrow in July 2015.

It was also the second hottest UK day on record, beating the 37.1C recorded in August 1990, as a plume of hot air was funnelled from the south and leaving much of the country sweltering.

Dr Mark McCarthy from the National Climate Centre (NCIC) at the Met Office said: “As the official source of meteorological statistics for the UK, we take the quality of our recordings very seriously.

“We are talking about a potential new record for the highest temperature recorded in the UK and we therefore need to thoroughly investigate the observation with our partners from Cambridge University Botanic Garden through statistical analysis and by visiting, to check the site and equipment and ensure there are no potential problems.”

The Met Office says weather records are only used from weather observation sites with calibrated, standard instruments and carefully monitored exposure.

The organisation has individual station observations in a digital database going back to 1853, but there are also historical paper records stretching back even further. </s> A record UK temperature of 38.7C has been recorded in Cambridge University Botanic Garden - but is only provisional at the moment.

The previous record was 38.5C, recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.

Thursday was already the hottest July day on record. A temperature recorded at another site in Cambridge - 38.1C - beat the previous high for the month of 36.7C, set at Heathrow in July 2015.

The Met office said its " a number of different types of data collection in collaboration with a range of partners".

The potential new record will not be confirmed " until the quality control process has been completed" which is likely to be early next week.

Dr Mark McCarthy from the National Climate Centre (NCIC) at the Met Office said: "As the official source of meteorological statistics for the UK, we take the quality of our recordings very seriously.

"We are talking about a potential new record for the highest temperature recorded in the UK and we therefore need to thoroughly investigate the observation with our partners from Cambridge University Botanic Garden through statistical analysis and by visiting, to check the site and equipment and ensure there are no potential problems." </s> Met office RECORD: UK heatwave the HOTTEST on record, says Met Office

Britons across the UK sweltered in roasting temperatures yesterday as hot air from Africa swept through Europe.

Now the Met Office has said Thursday, July 26 could be the hottest day on record in the UK after receiving a provisional figure of 38.7C at Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

In a tweet, the Met Office said: “It will be quality controlled & if validated would be the highest temperature officially recorded in the UK.”

The current all-time UK temperature high is 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.

Weather forecasters said yesterday the mercury had officially hit 38.1C in Cambridge at 4pm. </s> Cambridge University Botanic Garden have claimed temperatures in the area soared to 38.7°C yesterday – which means it could be the hottest day ever recorded in the UK.

The Met Office are now investigating the provisional figure and will confirm whether the record was broken in the coming days.

Cambridge was already confirmed as the hottest place in the country yesterday, setting a new record for the warmest July day ever.

The National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) published a reading of 38.1°C in the city.

But today it was announced that a thermometer in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden weather station had reached 38.7°C.

The current record for the hottest UK day was set on August 10 2003 at Brogdale near Faversham in Kent, with a temperature of 38.5°C.

A Met Office spokesperson said: ‘A new provisional value of 38.7°C has been submitted from Cambridge Botanic Garden that will require further quality control and analysis as part of our routine practices.

‘The Met Office observation network uses a number of different types of data collection in collaboration with a range of partners. Not all provide real time data.

‘As the official source of meteorological statistics for the UK we take the quality of our recordings very seriously and will not confirm the new record until the quality control process has been completed, this is likely to be early next week.’

The Cambridge University Botanic Garden has been open to the public since 1846.

It currently houses a collection of 8,000 plants, trees and shrubs from all over the world. </s> THE UK has experienced the hottest July day on record and the second hottest since records began.

A scorching 38.1C was recorded in Cambridge beating the previous July record of 36.7C. The highest recorded temperature still remains the 38.5C reached in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003.

Portsmouth topped the thermometer at a sweltering 30C, making it the hottest day in the city this year.

It was a record breaking day across Western Europe with Paris registering a record high temperature of 42.6C. The heatwave also saw Germany set a new national temperature record of 41.5C with the Netherlands also recording its highest ever temperature at 40.7C.

The warm weather brought out sun worshippers with the region’s beaches enjoying a bumper day.

However conditions across Hampshire look set to cool across the weekend with the Met Office forecasting rain for Saturday and a high of 23C with cloudy conditions and a high of 22C on Sunday. </s> Measurement was taken in Cambridge last Thursday and checked over the weekend

The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK – 38.7C – has been confirmed by the Met Office.

The measurement, taken at Cambridge Botanic Garden last Thursday, was subject to quality control and analysis by meteorologists over the weekend. The previous record of 38.5C was recorded in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.

The recording was taken at a Met Office climate observation site at the University of Cambridge. Some observation sites report monthly, meaning there is still a chance that higher temperatures were recorded elsewhere.

Countries across central and western Europe were gripped by exceptionally high temperatures last week, with Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands also breaking national temperature records.

Scientists have said July is on track to be the hottest month ever recorded on Earth, and 2019 is expected to be the second hottest year. The hottest was 2016, which was boosted by an El Niño weather system. Nine of the 10 hottest years ever recorded have occurred since 2000.

Although the recent heatwave cannot unequivocally be attributed to global heating, scientists found it made another European heatwave in June at least five times more likely, and made the lengthy hot spell experienced by the UK last year at least 30 times more likely.

Dr Mark McCarthy, from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said: “Historically UK summer heatwaves would typically tend to peak in the low 30s celsius, with extreme events reaching the mid-30s. Climate change has increased the likelihood and severity of heatwave episodes across Europe, which will have also increased the risks of a 40C temperature event in the UK.”

Last week’s heatwave was caused by hot air from north Africa being pulled up from continental Europe because of high pressure to the east of the UK and low pressure to the west.

Prof Peter Stott, from the Met Office, said: “Although the average rise of global temperature is around 1C compared with pre-industrial times, we mustn’t forget that the rise isn’t even across the globe as some regions have warmed more than others.

“Temperatures in parts of north Africa, for example, have risen by around 2C. This can have a marked effect on UK weather because when the weather patterns like we saw last week bring air from this region to our shores it can bring a stronger signal of climate change with it too, boosting temperatures.

“The UK receives influences from other neighbouring regions and as many of these regions are warming at a faster rate than the UK, our climate can receive a greater boost from climate change.”

Many scientists believe the jet stream is weakening, which could help explain the increase in extended weather spells both hot and cold, such as the summer heatwave last year and the “beast from the east” in March 2018.

Bob Ward, the director of policy at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, said: “Heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more intense due to climate change, and the risk of heat-related deaths is increasing. Sadly this trend will continue for the next few decades and so we will have to adapt more quickly, for instance by ensuring our buildings do not dangerously overheat.

“However, we can expect new records to be set regularly. It is inevitable that we will eventually see a temperature of more than 40C in the UK.”

More extreme weather is expected to hit the UK this week, with thunderstorms expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Over the weekend heavy downpours left parts of the north-west flooded, including Greater Manchester where commuters awoke to road closures and diverted trains after two weeks’ worth of rain fell in 24 hours.

Eight flood alerts remained in place across parts of the West Midlands and north-west England on Monday evening.

Kate Sambrook, a climate scientist at the University of Leeds, said high temperatures like those seen last week could become the new normal.

“Year after year we are seeing more and more extreme events, not only in the UK but worldwide. Last week temperature records were not just broken, they were smashed by 1C or more, which is unprecedented,” she said.

“We need to act now to urgently and decisively bring greenhouse emissions to zero. We must halve emissions in 10 years and reach net zero in 30. If we don’t, we can expect global temperatures 3.7C warmer by 2100 and still rising.” </s> Clouds in the sky above the ground during the second day of the test match between England and Ireland at Lord’s cricket ground in London, Thursday, July 25, 2019. Weather forecasters predict the UK could encounter the hottest July day on record later Thursday. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

BRUSSELS (AP) — The Latest on Europe’s heat wave (all times local):

Britain’s weather service says a provisional temperature of 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.7degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded Thursday, which if confirmed would be the highest ever recorded in the U.K.

The Met Office says the temperature was recorded at Cambridge University Botanic Garden in eastern England.

It says “quality control and analysis over the next few days” will determine whether the reading becomes official.

The existing record for the U.K. is 38.5 Celsius (101.3 Fahrenheit), was set in August 2003.

Temperature records have fallen across Europe this week as a suffocating heat wave swept up from the Sahara.

Britain was back to rain and lower temperatures on Friday.

People hoping to catch some sleep and maybe a cooling sea breeze during Europe’s heat wave got a rude awakening in a Dutch seaside suburb.

Police in The Hague said Friday that they handed out 140-euro ($155) fines overnight to 13 people sleeping on the beach and cafe terraces in Scheveningen.

Police say some of the sleepers were napping in the sand and getting in the way of local authority workers trying to clean up the beach before another sweltering day Friday.

The U.N. weather agency is voicing “concern” that the hot air which produced a record-breaking heat wave across much of western Europe this week is headed toward Greenland and that it could lead to increased melting of ice.

Heat records in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany tumbled in recent days as hot air surged from North Africa and Spain.

World Meteorological Organization spokeswoman Clare Nullis said in Geneva that forecasts suggest the air is heading towards Greenland.

This, she said, “will result in high temperatures and consequently enhanced melting of the Greenland ice sheet.”

Nullis said ice has been melting at high levels over the last few weeks in Greenland.

Travelers are facing a second day of disruption in Britain after record breaking July temperatures gave way to thunderstorms.

Network Rail, which oversees the majority of Britain’s railway network, is advising commuters to “only travel if their journey is absolutely necessary,” after Thursday’s disturbances left trains in haphazard locations and a fire damaged networks in the north.

The Met office says the mercury reached 38.1 C (100.6 F) in Cambridge on Thursday, only the second time temperatures over 100 F have ever been recorded in the UK.

The heat eased Friday, but Heathrow, Europe’s biggest airport, was forced to cancel or delay flights amid severe weather conditions. The airport admits they don’t know how many flights have been affected.

British Airways also announced that “severe thunderstorms are causing significant delays and cancellations to our operation in and out of London.”

Belgium suffered a first death as a direct result of the record-breaking heat wave when a woman was found dead near her caravan close to the beach.

The 66-year-old woman was found by a neighbor late Thursday afternoon after she had apparently been basking in the blazing sun. The incident happened in Middelkerke on the Belgian coast as temperatures rose in the region to over 40 degrees Celsius.

Middelkerke police commissioner Frank Delva told The Associated Press that the death is “very clearly linked to the heat.”

Emergency services rushed to the scene but could not resuscitate the woman.

On Thursday, Belgium endured, like many parts of Western Europe, its hottest day on record when the temperature rose to 41.8 C in Begijnendijk, 30 kilometers (20 miles) east of Brussels. </s> PARIS/LONDON (Reuters) - Soaring temperatures broke records in Germany, France, Britain and the Netherlands on Thursday, as a heatwave gripped Europe for the second time in a month in what scientists said were becoming more frequent events as the planet heats up.

As a cauldron of hot air from the Sahara desert moved across the continent, drawn northwards by high pressure, Paris saw its highest temperature since records began and Britain reported its hottest weather for the month of July.

An all-time high was measured in Germany for a second day running, at 41.5 degrees Celsius (106.7 degrees Fahrenheit) in the northwestern town of Lingen - similar temperatures to those in some Gulf Arab capitals on Thursday.

The unusual conditions brought a reduction in French and German nuclear power output, disrupted rail travel in parts of Britain and sent some Europeans, not habitual users of air conditioning in their homes, out to the shops in search of fans.

Health authorities issued warnings to the elderly, especially vulnerable to spikes in temperature. In cities, children splashed about in water fountains to cool off.

“It’s very hot at the moment. I saw 42 degrees (Celsius) is forecast for today,” said 19-year-old French tourist Ombeline Massot in the capital’s Montmartre district, where visitors drank chilled bottles of water and fanned themselves.

The mercury in Paris touched 42.6 C (108.68 F) in mid-afternoon, above the previous Paris record of 40.4 C (104.72 F) recorded in July 1947.

In Britain, the temperature reached its highest for July, hitting 38.1 C (100.58 F), said the Met Office, the national weather service. The temperature, recorded in Cambridge, beat the previously July record of 36.7 C (98.06°F) in 2015.

This was the second highest temperature recorded in the country. The hottest day, in August 2003, saw 38.5 C (101.3 F).

In the southern Netherlands, the temperature peaked at 40.4 C (104.7 F), topping 40 C (104 F) for the first time on record, Dutch meteorology institute KNMI said. That broke the national record of 39.3 C set the previous day. Before this week, the national heat record of 38.6 C had stood for 75 years.

The heat is expected to persist until Friday.

Climate specialists said such heatwaves are becoming more frequent as a result of global warming from greenhouse gas emissions.

Britons faced travel disruption, with trains being forced to slow down to prevent tracks buckling in the heat. Several train operators asked commuters not to travel or set off very early.

A Met Office study found that a heatwave like one that broke records last year was 30 times more likely to occur than in 1750, because of the high amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Since the pre-industrial period the Earth’s surface temperature has risen by 1 degree Celsius.

“There is a 40-50% chance that this will be the warmest July on record. This heatwave is exactly in line with climate change predictions,” said Dr Karsten Haustein at the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

Peter Inness, senior research fellow at the University of Reading, said: “The fact that so many recent years have had very high summer temperatures both globally and across Europe is very much in line with what we expect from man-made global warming.”

In northern Poland, toxic algae in the Baltic sea led to the closure of more than 15 beaches this summer, authorities said.

“The Baltic sea isn’t the cleanest and when the temperatures are so high, then these organisms multiply at lightning speed and beaches need to be closed,” said Jan Bondar, a spokesman for Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.

Very high temperatures across Europe coupled with prolonged dry weather has cut French nuclear power generation by around 5.2 gigawatts (GW) or 8%, French power grid operator RTE’s data showed.

Electricity output was curtailed at six reactors by 0840 GMT on Thursday, while two other reactors were offline, data showed. High water temperatures and sluggish flows limit the ability to use river water to cool reactors.

In Germany, PreussenElektra, the nuclear unit of utility E.ON, said it would take its Grohnde reactor offline on Friday due to high temperatures in the Weser river.
The United Kingdom reports a temperature reading of 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) in Cambridge, the second highest UK temperature yet recorded. It is subsequently confirmed that a reading of 38.7 °C (101.7 °F) is verified, also in Cambridge, beating the previous record of 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) set in Faversham, Kent on 10 August 2003 to become the new national record.