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UK heatwave: Cambridge Botanic Garden records nearly 40C

Cambridge University Botanic Garden Cambridge University Botanic Garden's daily weather recording boardCambridge University Botanic Garden
Cambridge University Botanic Garden recorded its highest temperature on Tuesday since its records began in 1904

The previous record-breaking temperature at Cambridge University Botanic Garden has been exceeded.

The UK's previously highest recorded temperature was 38.7C (101.7F), recorded at the site on 25 July 2019.

The Cambridge attraction reached 39.9C (103.8F) on Tuesday, at 14:02 BST in the heatwave.

However, Coningsby in Lincolnshire set the new highest UK temperature of 40.3C (104F) during the same day, the Met Office said.

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The garden's new record worried its director, Beverley Glover.

"We are dismayed by the high temperatures recorded and incredibly concerned at the implications for plants, people and the planet," she said.

"This acts as a severe reminder that we all need to be taking climate change and its impact very seriously."

Cambridge University Botanic Garden Katie Martyr standing in front of Cambridge University Botanic Garden's daily weather recording boardCambridge University Botanic Garden
Katie Martyr said the average temperature at the Botanic Garden had risen over the past 100 years

Manual weather readings have been taken every day for more than 100 years at the Botanic Garden, which include air and ground temperatures.

The readings from the previous 24 hours for the garden are recorded at 10:00 BST each morning by Katie Martyr, the university's Met Office daily reader and assistant horticulturist.

Ms Martyr said: "Analysis of the garden's weather records show that over the last 100 years our average temperature has risen by 1.2 Celsius and the hottest day, highest monthly and yearly average have all occurred within the last 20 years."

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