Irish Times today. It shows that the Fahrenheit scale is still very much alive in the UK. It always seems to crop up when it gets hot in the summer. So in winter people may say that it is 5 degrees below zero (Celsius); but during a heat wave it suddenly is 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
People placed bets on temperatures of 99 and 100 degrees F. That must do the BWMA really proud! Han New record set as baking Britons head for the coast BRITAIN: Temperatures in Britain soared past the magic mark of 37.10 Celsius (98.80 Fahrenheit) yesterday, making it the hottest day since records began and an expensive one for the bookmakers. As millions flocked to southern coastal resorts in search of some respite from the searing heat and northern England was blighted by torrential downpours, the mercury in London moved steadily upwards to smash the previous record measured in August 1990 and break through the 1000F mark for the first time. The meteorological office confirmed that the record had been broken at about 1.30 p.m. when 37.4C (99.3 F) was measured at Heathrow Airport. The temperature then continued to rise, reaching a record peak of 37.9C (100.22 F) by 2.50p.m. at both Heathrow and in Kent, south-east England. The news came as a blow for bookmakers William Hill, which now faces paying out up to �250,000 to people who had placed bets on the heat hitting 99 degrees F and 100 degrees F. "This is the worst meteorological result we have ever seen, worse than any white Christmas payout," a company spokesman said. The temperatures, which put Barbados in the shade at 84 degrees F and made Rio de Janeiro look chilly at 64 degrees F, saw many roads in the south of England reduced to a syrupy mess as tarmac baked in the sunshine. Beaches, parks and gardens were packed with sunbathers, while coast roads and motorways became jammed with day trippers. It was estimated that 15 million cars, a fifth above average, had hit the roads at the weekend. Forecasters said there was no end in sight to the warm weather in southern England, with temperatures remaining in the high 20s for most of the week. At Bournemouth, the coastline was crammed with about 100,000 sun-lovers and "no spare sand". One beachside car park was full by 7.30 a.m. and queues for deck chairs and sun loungers had formed as early as 8 a.m. A spokesman for the sea front office said: "There have been lots of lost children, pier jumpers, drunks and other shenanigans, which we are dealing with." Further north, the picture was one of extremes as storms lashed many areas. More than 20 people were injured after being struck by lightning during violent thunderstorms. A woman from Birmingham was recovering in hospital last night after suffering a heart attack when lightning hit players and spectators at a football match. Fourteen people were treated for eye injuries, burns and shock. The woman took "a direct hit" and the lightning strike went to ground, causing several footballers to suffer deep shock. In some parts of the country, unlucky visitors were having to seek out indoor venues - to escape showers and even thunderstorms. At the Land's End tourist attraction in west Cornwall, the deputy general manager, Mr. John Brookes, said: "The weather here today is absolutely dreadful. I have got two woollies on and an anorak. (c) The Irish Times (c) Guardian Service (c) PA
