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Ben Cooke, The Times
A temperature of 34.8C was recorded at Kew gardens in London yesterday, marking the UK’s hottest May day on record, reports the Times. According to the newspaper, the previous record for May was 32.8C, which was recorded in 1922 and again in 1944. It adds: “A spokesperson for the Met Office said that ‘this heat would be exceptional in the UK even in midsummer, let alone in May’, adding that ‘records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree’.” It continues: “The day’s unprecedented heat followed the warmest May night on record, with the minimum temperature on Sunday night falling only to 19.4C, beating the previous record of 18.9C set in Folkestone in 1947.” BBC News says: “This week's weather means more than half of the monthly record highs – seven out of 12 – have been set since 2003, according to the Met Office.” The Guardian notes that scientists say the record-breaking heat is a “reminder of how climate crisis is affecting lives”. It adds that “the heat is expected to persist through the week, with a 35C peak expected again on Tuesday”. The Press Association adds that “it is also 10C to 15C hotter than average for much of the UK”. The Independent reports that parts of the UK recorded their hottest May night on record last night. The heatwave is widely covered in other outlets, including Reuters and the Daily Telegraph.
Meanwhile, the Guardian reports that climate campaigners say the government “urgently” needs to start installing air conditioning units in schools and care homes. Separately, the newspaper says that 4m homes in the UK now have air conditioning, doubling the figure from three years ago.
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The Times covers Carbon Brief analysis, which finds that “floods have forced more than 60 NHS hospitals to close facilities since 2021”. “The government is betting on private investors to fill the gap in the UK’s provision of climate aid and support after last year’s sweeping cuts reduced the UK contribution”, development minister Jenny Chapman tells the Independent. The Guardian covers a new report by Queen Mary University of London which finds that “Britain has created a new breed of political prisoners through the systematic incarceration of people acting to prevent climate breakdown and the annihilation of Gaza”. The Daily Telegraph says the RAF is switching to sustainable jet fuel, claiming that the government’s net-zero aviation mandate will “cost the British military £100m each year by 2040”. The Daily Express carries a warning from scientists that a collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation would “spell trouble for Britain’s food security”.
Kathryn Carlson, Politico
Countries in western Europe “are bracing for extreme heat this week”, reports Politico. The outlet says: “Spain and Portugal are set to experience the most extreme heat this week, with parts of Portugal expected to register temperatures of nearly 40C and areas of southern Spain forecast to hit 38C.” It adds that the extreme heat is caused by a “heat dome”, in which “warm air moving up from Northern Africa has become trapped under a high-pressure system over Western Europe”. It continues: “Météo-France noted the phenomenon is becoming more common as a result of climate change.” The Guardian reports that more than 20 towns in France have recorded their highest-ever May temperatures. Agence France Presse reports that, on Saturday, temperatures in Paris hit 31.9C, marking the hottest temperature of the year. Separately, the Financial Times says: “Temperatures in countries including the UK, Ireland, France and Belgium are forecast to jump more than 15C in a little over a week as ‘climate whiplash’ hits Europe.”
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Euronews reports that climate change and habitat destruction are increasing the risk of hantavirus in Europe. Euronews: “Spain’s government on Monday unveiled its proposed social climate plan, which provides for almost 9bn euros in public aid focused on mobility and housing.” According to the Associated Press, European Union officials have said that “Europeans can expect oil and gas prices to remain above what they were before the Iran war for at least until the end of 2027”. The Wall Street Journal reports that the European Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism is “a growing source of tension for Ukraine”, whose steel exports to the bloc have already “sharply reduced” as a result of the policy. The Financial Times: “Britain has had to cut back on its practice of trading power with Europe to prevent blackouts at home, after the size and speed of its electricity trading put strain on the supplies of its neighbours.” “France wants incoming ESG fund rules to be adjusted so that sustainable investors don’t need to exclude key energy producers,” according to a draft proposal seen by Bloomberg.
Sethuraman N R and Praveen Paramasivam, Reuters
Some parts of India are “grappling with power cuts as record-breaking heat has pushed electricity demand to an all-time high in excess of 270 gigawatts, spurring a government call for consumers to limit use”, reports Reuters. The newswire says that an El Niño weather pattern is contributing to the high summer temperature. The Hindu reports that temperatures in several parts of India reached 44C on Saturday. According to the newspaper, the Indian Meteorological Department has warned that temperatures across Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh are likely to rise further and issued multiple heat warnings. Bloomberg reports that climate change and poor urban planning are leading to “sweltering nights” that put millions of people at risk. The Guardian has an article under the headline: “‘My head spins with the heat’: India’s gig workers battle exhaustion amid soaring temperatures.” Reuters says that “more than 300 suspected cases of heat-related illnesses have been reported in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh from the start of March to mid-May”. Bloomberg says: “India’s power ministry on Friday appealed to citizens to be mindful of electricity consumption as harsh summer heat drives demand for cooling.”
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Bloomberg says: “India’s state-run fuel retailers raised gasoline and diesel prices for the fourth time in 10 days in response to disruptions in global energy markets.” Reuters reports that extreme heat has “ruined” India’s “prized Alphonso mango crop”.
Julia Kollewe, The Guardian
“Oil prices fell below $100 a barrel on Monday and stock markets rose on hopes that the US and Iran are inching closer to a peace deal,” reports the Guardian. However, the newspaper says that “while a framework has been negotiated, the US and Iran remain at odds over key issues such as Iran’s blockade of the strait of Hormuz”. The New York Times says that, on Sunday, a US official said that the US and Iran have “reached a deal in principle that calls for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz”. However, it adds that “announcement left many questions unanswered, starting with how soon normal shipping through the strait could resume and when oil prices would begin to come down”. The Wall Street Journal says that “investors remain sceptical about the impact of the US-Iran talks”. Reuters adds: “In a lengthy Truth Social post on Monday, US president Donald Trump said talks with Iran were going ‘nicely,’ but warned of fresh attacks if they failed.” Meanwhile, Reuters reports that “three liquefied natural gas tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, heading to Pakistan, China and India, as well as a supertanker with Iraqi crude for China after being stranded for nearly three months”. France’s finance minister has told the Financial Times that governments cannot decide whether to release more oil reserves until they know how long the Iran war is likely to last.
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