Why today is set to be one of the hottest days of the year so far

As temperatures soar across the region, we could see the mercury hitting nearly 30°C.
Sunbather at Roker Beach during the heat waveSunbather at Roker Beach during the heat wave
Sunbather at Roker Beach during the heat wave

The region has been hit by the heat, and is set to increase on Thursday, July 25, as temperatures as set to hit around 28°C in some areas.

Temperatures could go higher, as hot air continues to push up from the Continent this week, causing a heatwave for the region.

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Heatwaves are extreme weather events that meet the threshold. This is when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold of 25°C.

Couple enjoy the heat wave at Roker BeachCouple enjoy the heat wave at Roker Beach
Couple enjoy the heat wave at Roker Beach

Met Office research into last year's record-breaking summer temperatures found they were about 30 times more likely as a result of climate change

caused by humans.

Dr Mark McCarthy from the Met Office National Climate Information Centre, said: "Reaching 40°C in the UK is an unprecedented event in the observational records of UK climate.

"Historically UK summer heatwaves would typically tend to peak in the low 30°C with extreme events reaching the mid-30s.

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"Climate change has increased the likelihood and severity of heatwave episodes across Europe, which will have also increased the risks of a 40C temperature event in the UK."

The hottest day of the year has also increased, and in the last decade the temperature was around 0.8°C higher than compared to the period between 1961-1990.

So in the words of the 1999 hit from Baz Luhrmann, “Trust me on the sunscreen.”