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07th Jul 2018

Planetwide heatwave sets all-time temperature records across the world

Climate scientists have said the planet is experiencing 'one of the most intense heat events ever seen'

Oli Dugmore

Climate scientists have said the planet is experiencing ‘one of the most intense heat events ever seen’

All-time record temperatures have been set all over the planet this week as a heatwave delivers “one of the most intense heat events ever seen.”

Meteorologist Nick Humphrey said in a blog post that the extreme spell of hot weather amounted to “a true roasting”, writing: “It is absolutely incredible and really one of the most intense heat events I’ve ever seen for so far north.”

Denver tied its all-time high-temperature record of 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.5 Celsius) on June 28.

Deaths linked to a heat wave in Canada’s Quebec province reached 33 on Thursday, health officials said after Montreal recorded its highest temperature in history, dating back 147 years, of 36.6C on July 2.

Record highs have been set in Shannon, Ireland (32C), Belfast and Castlederg in Northern Ireland (29.5C and 30.1C respectively), Tibilsi, Georgia (40.5C), Yerevan, Armenia (42C).

Scotland provisionally set its hottest temperature on record. The Met Office reported Motherwell, reached 33.2C on June 28, passing the previous record of set in August 2003 at Greycrook. Additionally, Glasgow had its hottest day on record at 31.9C.

In the town of Quriyet in Oman on June 26 the lowest temperature over the day’s 24 hours was 42.6C, which makes for a new record for highest “low,” according to Guinness World Records.

Mean temperatures in the UK over the last month reached 14.8C, the third warmest June since records began in 1910.

Humphrey said that even northern Siberia “has been getting blowtorched” with maximum temperatures of above 32C.