The UK had the hottest June since records began in 1884, with climate change a factor

By SYLVIA HUI
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — The U.K.’s weather agency says the country sweltered through its hottest June since records began in 1884. Scientists say that human-induced climate change means such unusual heat will become more frequent in the next few decades. The average temperature for June in the U.K. hit 15.8 degrees Celsius, or 60.4 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s 0.9C hotter than the joint previous record of 14.9C in 1940 and 1976, according to the Met Office’s provisional figures. Meteorologists say that thanks to climate change, the chance of beating the previous joint record has at least doubled since the 1940s. The highest temperature recorded last month was 32.2C, much higher than typical maximum temperatures, which hover around the low 20s for this time of year.