Lincoln is thought to be experiencing its hottest ever start to May today, raising fears of the impact climate change is having on the UK.
Since Monday April 28, the UK has been facing a mini heatwave, with temperatures not dropping below 20°C. Today, the mercury is expected to peak at 29°C at 3.30pm.
While many are enjoying the sun, there are those who fear for how this has been caused by the changing climate across the world.
Professor Edward Hanna, a member of the Lincoln Climate Research Group said: “This is a concerning issue, not only did we have one of the coldest winters in our history, but now we are beginning to see record temperatures in May.”
The sun will not set until 8:31pm today, with direct sunlight being around for eight hours.
“We could be seeing temperatures rise beyond the 40 degree highs we saw last year and we are only really halfway through British springtime,” Professor Hanna, who lectures in Climate Science and Meteorology at the University of Lincoln, added.
It has already been reported that global average temperatures are 1.2°C higher than normal, with the ten warmest years on record all being from the last decade.
Lincoln has already experienced the affects of climate change throughout the 21st century.
In January this year, areas of Lincoln were hit with a series of floods, impacting more than 200 households in the area, with the risk being unlikely to be removed.
In fact, Lincoln will be one of the first cities in the UK to fall under the sea level, with estimates saying as early as 2050.
Malcom West, a member of the Extinction Rebellion UK group – which has a Lincoln branch – said: “Greenhouse gas levels are higher than ever. I would not be surprised if we end up heading over the two degree heating sooner than the 2035 estimate we used.”
Malcom added: “All we are asking is that while people enjoy the sun, just look out for the environment at the same time.”
