A sweltering heatwave has turned Britain’s beauty spots from green to brown as temperatures soar to 100F (38C) in one of the longest hot spells since the scorching summer of 1976.
Shocking aerial pictures from before the 10-day heatwave show the stark contrast to today, as the lush greenery is transformed by the dry conditions.
Warwick Castle, Greenwich Park in London and King’s College in Cambridge are among the areas affected, as the mercury already hit 87.2F (30.7C) in the capital city by 11am today and is set to climb even higher.
Forecasters said today could be one of the five hottest days in UK history – following four days of highs of at least 93F (34C) in South East England.
Head gardener Steve Coghill tends to the wildflower meadow at King’s College in Cambridge in June this year while it is in full bloom, left, and rakes the freshly mown meadow, today, with the grass seen considerably browner, right
Today and tomorrow will be just as hot – giving Britain the most days in a row above 93F on record, which would confirm the country’s most severe heatwave ever as a Met Office level three heat health alert remains in place.
Meteorologists also expect Britain to have the second longest run of consecutive 90F (32C) days on record. While the period is unlikely to get close to the 15 days in 1976, it will today tie with the second-placed five days in 1995.
The record for the longest spell of 95F (35C) is three days – set in 1976 and 1990 – which this week could match. And the UK has only had heat of 98F (36.7C) on four days in history, one of which was recorded only 12 days ago.
But the heat in southern England comes after tremendous thunder and hail storms hit western and northern parts of the UK yesterday – with further flood warnings in place today for Birmingham, the North West and Scotland.
Fire crews in Lancashire were called out to more than 30 flooding incidents overnight in Lancaster, Warton, Kirkham, Hesketh Bank and Tarleton, with a rest centre opened for people whose homes have been deluged.
Others suffered with more intense heat. Historically these sweltering evenings were so rare that only eight were recorded between 1961 to 1995, but the country has now seen 16 tropical nights this summer – with more to come.
Following yesterday’s rainfall, the Environment Agency has issued four warnings for expected flooding in the North West – two at Lancaster and two at Ulverston.
Five flood alerts – warning of possible flooding – are in place for Birmingham and surrounding districts.
An aerial view of the medieval Warwick Castle on the banks of the River Avon in Warwick, left, and the same location following the 10-day heatwave, right, as forecasters say today could be one of the five hottest days in UK history
A view of Canary Wharf from Greenwich Park in London on April 4 this year, after the government ordered the coronavirus lockdown to stop the spread of the infection, left, and following the heatwave, right, with a notable change in grass conditions
Flood alerts have been issued for 19 locations in Scotland, with one also current for the Vyrnwy catchment area in Wales.
Despite the downpours, Britain’s ten-day heatwave shows no signs of relenting and will continue until at least Friday, with the country enduring an extraordinary period of scorching weather.
Maximums of up to 99F (37C) are now expected every day until Thursday, before temperatures are expected to dip on Friday to 82F (27C).
The evenings will provide little relief, as tropical nights, when temperatures stay above 68F (20C), are forecast to continue this week as this year seems to be on track for a record number.
There has now been an unbroken chain of at least ten tropical nights per summer in the years from 2011 to 2020, after the events became statistically significant after 1995.
Visitors walk by Chesterton Windmill in Chestertown, Warwickshire on July 23, left, and Jack, 10, plays with his kite as he enjoys the hot weather in the same location today, right, following days of scorching temperatures
People sunbathe and socialise on Parliament Hill in Hampstead, North London, on May 29, left, and the same setting today, right, as England experiences a 10-day heatwave which will continue until at least Friday
The streak has caused sleepless nights for many Britons, with many taking to Twitter to share their desperation. Britain has already seen temperatures above the official heatwave level of over 82F (28C) since last Wednesday.
South East Water urged its customers to put away their hose pipes, garden sprinklers and garden water toys as it said that a spike in demand had left some people with low pressure or no water.
It said it has been pumping an additional 150 million litres of water around its network, the equivalent of 27 million additional toilet flushes, to keep up with demand over the summer.
They put the increase in water use down to more people being at home and taking up DIY and gardening projects during the rise in staycations.
The Met Office said the heatwave is the most prolonged period of hot August weather for 17 years.