Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll have realised it is hot in the UK right now. It is far too hot. So hot that one TikTok user pointed out that the water he was using to clean the car was actually evaporating from its roof:
The video shared by Ben Holder (@bjholder) shows him wiping down his car with a sponge, only for the water to evaporate almost instantly off the roof the car.
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The scorching temperatures meant Northern Ireland recorded its hottest day ever over he weekend, while yesterday (19 July) the Met Office issuing an 'extreme weather warning' for the first time ever, with parts of the UK topping 30°C.
Today (20 July) the temperature in Bristol has exceeded that of Barcelona. Not that anyone waking up surrounded by the beautiful scenery of Catalonia will ever open the curtains and say "Oh, I just wish I was in Bristol," but the point still stands.
Some Brits have struggled to cope with the climbing mercury. One Twitter user said yesterday evening: "Every adult in the UK must be on top of the covers starkers complaining about the heat...right?"
While another, trying to explain the UK's national pastime of moaning about the weather, said: "People need to understand there's such a big difference between 30°C in the UK and 30°C anywhere else, everywhere in Britain is built to keep heat in, we're suffering."
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Public Health England (PHE) has extended the extreme weather warning to Thursday 22 July.
Dr Owen Landeg, Scientific and Technical lead at PHE, said: "As we experience the first hot weather of the year, it's important for everyone to remember to adapt their behaviours. This is particularly important during the pandemic with so many people self-isolating."
Large periods of hot weather are becoming more and more likely in the UK as a result of the effects of climate change, with some experts predicting that there are likely to be increased numbers of hospital admissions.
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Chloe Brimicombe, a heatwaves researcher at the University of Reading said: "We're likely to see increased hospital admissions over the next few days, due to heat stress - a build up of body heat as conditions prevent people from cooling down, even at night - and other heat-related health issues.
"Vulnerable people do die. Outdoor workers can get long-term kidney disease. We can also see a rise in air pollution, which affects people's lungs.
"With the Climate Change Committee calling once again on the UK Government to adapt to climate change including extreme heat, we need the kind of leadership and action that would be taken after a massive flood or we will see as many if not more lives lost to the invisible killer to heat."
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Essentially, the heatwave has got to be taken seriously, so stay safe out there, and keep yourselves hydrated. Beer garden, anyone?
Words: Tom Bedworth
Topics: Weather, UK News, heatwave
