Record heat continued to hit parts of western Europe over the past week, with temperatures in the UK exceeding 40°C (104°F) for the first time since records began.
Several weather stations in London, Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire broke the 40C barrier on Tuesday, with a top temperature of 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. A further 39 stations in central and southern England also broke the previous highest temperature of 38.7C, which was set in July 2019.
The Central England Temperature (CET), which is a daily temperature record dataset dating back to 1772, recorded the highest average daily temperature of 28.1°C, an incredible 2.8°C above of the previous record.
Temperature records fell in many other countries in Europe, with 64 different areas of France experiencing record highs and temperatures in Portugal reaching 47C on Thursday, a July record.
The dangerously high temperatures have had extreme consequences, with Portugal reporting more than 1,000 heatwave-related deaths since last week. At least 13 people have died in incidents involving open water in the UK since Monday.
Forest fires have ravaged parts of Europe and North Africa, with 37,000 people evacuated from their homes in France as a result of the biggest fires in 30 years. More than 20,000 hectares (49,500 acres) of land were swallowed up in the Gironde region alone. Strong winds in northern Morocco have exacerbated forest fires, with firefighters still battling the flames.
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There have been several fires in England and Wales, with London’s fire brigade declaring a major incident. The number of calls to the service quadrupled earlier this week, with Tuesday the busiest day in the capital since the second world war.
Meanwhile, parts of southern and eastern China have been struggling to cope with torrential downpours and exceptionally hot conditions. In Guanyun County, Jiangsu Province, a tornado swept through 11 villages on Wednesday, killing one and injuring 25 others. Along with the torrential rains, there have been scorching temperatures, with more than 900 million people feeling the effects of heat above 40C. This has coincided with an increase in Covid cases, and with the government mandating mass testing, it has led to dangerous conditions for those waiting to be administered and tested. At least 24 people were taken to hospital with heat stroke.