UK Records Provisional Hottest June Day at 36.7C in Somerset

Temperatures reached 36.7C at Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday afternoon, provisionally the UK's hottest June day on record, GB News reported. The reading surpassed the 36.1C recorded the previous day in Gosport, Hampshire, and the June record set in 1976.

GB News reported that Dr Mojca Kristan, assistant professor in medical entomology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said weather conditions are currently perfect for mosquitoes because they favor warmth and standing water for egg laying.

May had been too dry for breeding, but rain in June created standing water, she stated. Dr Kristan advised wearing insect repellent, long sleeves, and socks in the evening to avoid bites around the ankles, GB News reported. Aedes albopictus eggs have been detected in the UK, though Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti are not currently present, she said.

Dengue and chikungunya viruses are present in Europe, especially the Mediterranean, according to Dr Kristan. Modelling studies indicate that by the 2060s the climate in London and surrounding areas will most likely support endemic transmission of dengue fever.

Malaria is not currently endemic in the UK, though approximately 2,000 imported cases are reported annually in returning travellers, GB News reported.

Dr Kristan stated there is a low risk of bites from UK mosquitoes spreading serious illness at present. Dengue symptoms include high temperature, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and nausea. Chikungunya symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain, joint swelling, and rash.

Zika infection is usually mild but can cause stillbirth, miscarriage, developmental problems, and microcephaly in pregnant women.