London — Temperatures have reached 40 degrees Celsius for the first time on record in Britain, with 40.2 degrees provisionally recorded at London's Heathrow Airport, the Met Office said on Tuesday.
The threshold was hit at 12:50 pm as much of Britain sweltered in a heatwave, with parts of England and Wales under a red warning for extreme heat, posing a danger to life, putting pressure on the health care system and disrupting transport networks.
The extreme heat is fuelled by climate change, which is making every heatwave more intense, frequent and likely, scientists warn.
The new high for daytime temperatures comes after Britain experienced its warmest night on record on Monday, with temperatures remaining in the mid-20s.
The Met Office warned temperatures were still climbing early on Tuesday afternoon.
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