Britain is experiencing an unprecedented heat wave in September, with temperatures above 30°C for the fifth day in a row, and there is a good chance of it happening again at the weekend, AFP reports.

Cavendish (south-east England) recorded a high of 30.9°C on Friday, the Met Office reported on X (formerly Twitter).

This is “the fifth day in a row with a temperature above 30C and the first time this happened in September according to our data,” the Meteorological Service reported.

The previous record was three days above this threshold in September, the Met Office told AFP.

According to the latest forecast, the heatwave will “continue into the weekend across much of southern England and Wales, with temperatures likely to reach 33C on Saturday, which could be the hottest day of the year”.

There is also a risk of storms over the weekend before colder weather returns early next week.

Temperatures already reached 32.6C in Wisley, Surrey (south of London) on Thursday, surpassing this year’s high of 32.2C recorded on June 10 and 25.

The all-time record for September dates back to 1906, when 35.6°C was recorded in South Yorkshire.

Our climate is changing as a result of human activity

To deal with the situation, the British have stormed southern beaches such as Brighton, a popular holiday destination for Londoners, in recent days.

At London Zoo, staff are trying to cool down the animals by feeding Asiatic lions with blood and meat ice cream, while elsewhere in the capital, some people took out their umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

The authorities have declared a heat orange for health services in England, fearing the consequences for the most vulnerable sections of the population.

“As our climate changes as a result of human activity, heat waves like these are becoming more frequent and more intense,” the Met Office warns.