Temperatures in England are predicted to soar as high as 108º F (42º C), with 104º (40º C) forecast in London tomorrow. Records were already broken over the weekend in some parts of the UK, and extreme temperatures are also expected in parts of France, Belgium and the Netherlands similarly unaccustomed to such heat. Experts warn that the temperature is life-threatening—few have air-conditioning in Britain's historically mild-mannered climate—though one Conservative MP said anyone preparing for it is a "coward" and a "snowflake."
Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of the College of Paramedics, told the same programme: "This isn't like a lovely hot day where we can put a bit of sunscreen on, go out and enjoy a swim and a meal outside.
"This is serious heat that could actually, ultimately, end in people's deaths because it is so ferocious. We're just not set up for that sort of heat in this country."
Dr Nikos Christidis, climate attribution scientist at the Met Office, said the 40C prediction is a result of climate change.