London hotter than parts of the Middle East as UK heatwave continues

Britain set for its hottest day on record

People basking in the sun on a crowded Brighton beach. The temperature in Britain smashed through the 40ºC barrier for the first time in recorded history. PA

A man dives into the Serpentine Lake to cool off in Hyde Park, west London. AFP

Firefighters rest as they attend a gorse bush fire, near Zennor, Cornwall. Reuters

A tourist wears a hat to shield herself from the sun on Westminster Bridge in central London. AP

A man cools off at Trafalgar Square, central London. Reuters

Firefighters respond to a large wildfire in woodland at Lickey Hills Country Park on the edge of Birmingham. PA

A railway worker hands out bottles of water to passengers at London's King's Cross, where there are train cancellations due to the heat. AP

Firefighters control a grass fire in Ravenswood, Suffolk. PA

Train tracks are painted white to help with the heat at Alexandra Palace train station in London. PA

Deer rest in the shade at London's Richmond Park. Reuters

An empty freezer section at Sainsbury's Nine Elms in London. PA

Chippy the chimpanzee enjoys an ice treat at Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling. AP

A student dips her head into the fountain at Trafalgar Square, London. Getty Images

People turn out to watch the sunrise on Tuesday morning at Cullercoats Bay, North Tyneside. PA

A digital thermometer displaying a temperature of 39°C on a London Underground train. PA

A fan finds a way to keep cool while watching the Women's Euro 2022 football match between Italy and Belgium at Manchester City Academy Stadium. AP

An aerial view shows swimmers at Hathersage Swimming Pool, west of Sheffield in northern England. AFP

Traffic crosses a bridge at Woodhead Resevoir in West Yorkshire as water levels dip dangerously low. AP

A man leaps from the top of a tree into the River Cam, in Cambridge. Getty Images

A packed Gyllyngvase beach in Falmouth. Getty Images

A police officer gives water to a sentry in heavy ceremonial uniform, outside Buckingham Palace in central London. AP

A man cools off in a fountain in London. Reuters

A man sunbathes at the harbour in Mousehole, Cornwall. AP

People swim in the River Wye. Reuters

Passengers feel the heat on the London Underground. The operator advised its customers not to use the metro during the worst of the heatwave. AP

Palm House supervisor Will Spolestra waters the plants at the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew, west London, where temperatures inside the greenhouses are cooler than outside during the heatwave. PA

Dry grass at Greenwich Park, south-east London. AP

A swimmer takes an early morning dip in the cool water of Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge, eastern England. Getty Images

Assistant horticulturalist Katie Martyr checks the temperature at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Forecasts are for record temperatures exceeding 40°C. Getty Images

Bathers keep cool in a tidal pool at Perranporth Beach in Cornwall, south-west England. Reuters

Message boards at London's Victoria Station warn passengers of potential disruption to train services due to the extreme heat. AFP

Zorro the police horse drinks water from a bucket to cool down during hot weather, on Whitehall in London. Reuters

People use a map to shelter from the sun outside Buckingham Palace in London. Reuters

A cyclist rides through Richmond Park in south-west London at sunrise on Monday. Reuters

The reduced water level at Weir Wood reservoir, near Crawley, south-east England. The UK's Met Office has issued its first 'red warning' for exceptional heat. AFP

A crowded beach at Joss Bay in Broadstairs, south-east England. Reuters

Swimmers take the plunge to escape the heat in east London. Reuters

Sunbathers on the parched grass in Greenwich Park, south-east London. AP

A sign advises people not to travel on the London Underground during the heatwave. EPA

People in Britain are bracing themselves for the country's hottest day on record as a heatwave continues — and it could even be warmer than some parts of the Middle East.

Temperatures could hit 40ºC in London and parts of southern England on Tuesday, with 56 per cent humidity making it feel stifling.

Europe faces rising temperatures and wildfires have spread in Spain and Portugal. Northern Europe is especially ill-equipped for such temperatures, with air conditioning rare.

Here's where it is cooler today

Cairo

Highs of 37ºC and lows of 24ºC, with humidity at 66 per cent.

Although air conditioning is common, summer in a city of 9.5 million can be stifling, with the Nile River only adding to the humidity. Many families escape to Alexandria and the Mediterranean coast for respite.

Beirut

Highs of 31ºC and lows of 24ºC, with humidity at 79 per cent, which will make it feel much hotter.

"A devastating economic collapse, that has seen the local currency lose more than 90 per cent of value, has seen much of Lebanon plunged into poverty," The National's Jamie Prentis in Beirut says.

"State electricity is nearly non-existent, meaning much of the population is without power and air conditioning in the hot summer months.

"For those who can afford it, they turn to expensive generators to fill the gap."

Lebanon is at high risk of wildfires on Tuesday amid the scorching heat and south-westerly to southerly winds that will blow between 10 and 30 kilometres an hour.

Muscat

Highs of 33ºC and lows of 27ºC, with humidity high at 78 per cent, and rain forecast for Tuesday.

The Omani capital bears the brunt of Indian Ocean weather fronts. Last week, 19 people died when heavy rainfall led to flooding nationwide.

As a result, it is often cooler, but the weather is more unstable.

Families often head to the southern coast around the city of Salalah, which was 28ºC on Tuesday, with drizzle and a breeze.

And where it is hotter ...

Abu Dhabi

Highs of 40ºC and lows of 31ºC, with humidity at 35 per cent, which is low for this time of year.

The UAE capital fares about the same as London today, with the mercury slightly higher. But with air conditioning in every apartment, public office and mall, it feels much cooler.

Humidity is much lower after a recent early summer blast. Along the coast, Dubai is marginally hotter, at 41ºC and tends to be slightly drier than its northern neighbour.

Baghdad

Highs of 47ºC and lows of 28C, with humidity at 15 per cent.

The Iraqi capital is often one of the hottest cities in the world, sweltering under the desert sun for much of the summer.

A dry desert heat only offers limited respite. To the south, Basra can see similar temperatures coupled with sky-high humidity. Families struggle with interrupted energy supplies, high costs and old air-conditioning systems.

Kuwait

Highs of 48ºC and lows of 34ºC, with 12 per cent humidity.

Often the hottest place in the world in the summer, Kuwait bakes for months every year. It recorded 53ºC one day last month.

Scientists said the Gulf is the "canary in the coal mine" for climate change, and will see the brunt of rising temperatures and sea levels.

Kuwait, a major oil producer, says it will play its part to tackle emissions and climate change, upping renewable energy production from 1 per cent to 15 per cent by 2030.

How air conditioning makes life possible

Housing in European countries has long been built to keep people warm in the winter. Air conditioning was almost never considered as a must-have home appliance, because the European summers have been known to be temperate.

But with climate change came the impossibly high temperatures across the globe during the summer.

The UK's housing designs factored in the cold winters and also the best way to trap heat and reduce energy bills, resulting in lots of insulation. This makes it hot in the summer months.

In the Gulf region, the situation is less dire as air conditioning is commonplace, with as much as 70 per cent of electricity used to power AC units.