UK shatters its record for highest temperature ever registered as heat wave hits Europe

Passersby walk towards an LED sign saying "18 -19 July extreme heat only travel if essential" on July 19, 2022, in London, England. (Photo by Sebastian Gollnow/picture alliance via Getty Images) LONDON - Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered Tuesday, with a provisional reading of 39.1 degrees Celsius (102.4 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the country's weather office — and the heat was only expected to rise.The highest temperature previously recorded in Britain was 38.7 C (101.7 F), a record set in 2019.

Tuesday's record was in Charlwood, England."Temperatures are likely to rise further through today,’’ the forecaster said.The high Tuesday came as the country sweltered in heat that also scorched mainland Europe for the past week.

Travel, health care and schools were disrupted in a country not prepared for such extremes.A huge chunk of England, from London in the south to Manchester and Leeds in the north, remained under the country’s first warning of "extreme" heat Tuesday, meaning there is danger of death even for healthy people.Britain’s Supreme Court closed to visitors after a problem with the air conditioning forced it to move hearings online.

The British Museum planned to close early. Many public buildings, including hospitals don’t have air conditioning, a reflection of how unusual such extreme heat is in the country better known for rain and mild temperatures.Video recorded by Isabella Sloan shows a colossal wave smashing over the rooftops of two-story condos at the Keauhou-Kona Surf and Racquet Club.Unusually hot, dry weather has gripped large swaths of the continent since last week, triggering wildfires from Portugal to the Balkans and leading to hundreds of heat-related deaths..