It's officially been the hottest day in Nottinghamshire since records began. Temperatures reached a scorching 36.7°C all-time high at Sutton Bonington on Monday, July 18 - as the extreme conditions disrupted schools, travel, and hospitality.
The scorching weather has been caused by a 500-mile wall of hot air from the continent - dubbed the "African hairdryer" - making some parts of the UK warmer than Egypt. The Met Office issued an unprecedented red "extreme heat" warning for parts of the UK on Monday and Tuesday - including in Nottinghamshire - and said there was a risk of 'danger to life' and of temperatures approaching 40°C.
The Met Office said the temperature on Monday, July 18, was the highest ever recorded in Nottinghamshire since records began. A spokesperson for the Met Office said: "We can confirm that Nottinghamshire has seen its highest temperature ever at 36.7°C at Sutton Bonington. The temperature in Nottingham was 36.2C which was higher than the previous high of 36.1°C in 2009."
Read more: More Notts schools close and councils prepare for 'extreme heat'
Back in July 2019, temperatures in the city reached 36.1°C - a massive 97° in Fahrenheit. Recorded at the Watnall weather station, which covered the city, it also equalled the record for the whole of the county, which was set at Clarborough in north Notts on August 3, 1990. It means the 36.7°C recorded in Sutton Bonington has now taken the record, since official records began.
At least eight schools in Nottinghamshire are known to have closed because of the hot weather, the latest being Retford Oaks Academy in Babworth Road. The majority of other schools are expected to remain open as we go into Tuesday, which is expected to be even hotter.
According to the Met Office, the heatwave will reach its peak in Nottingham at about 2pm on Tuesday with highs of 38C. However, there is some respite on Tuesday as well, with thunder storms predicted at 4pm, 9pm and 10pm, bringing the hot weather to a spectacular end.
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