The chief executive of a meteorological society has described the heatwaves this year as “unprecedented” and “exceptional”.
On Thursday the UK experienced its hottest day of the year and fifth hottest day on record, as a heatwave that gripped much of the country peaked at 38.1C, the Met Office said.
Liz Bentley, chief executive of the Royal Meteorological Society in Reading, said “summers are going to become hotter and drier”.
“We’re seeing that being played out quite readily now…. It is kind of the new norm for us in the UK,” she added.
The latest spell of extreme heat marks the UK’s fifth heatwave this year, with the Met Office warning this summer is on course to be the UK’s hottest since records began.
More than 27 million people in England and Wales have been placed under a hosepipe ban as some water companies struggle to cope with the dry weather and high demand for water.