Continental Europe is in the grip of record breaking temperatures, hitherto unheard of in the month of June. Yesterday, Wednesday, new highest temperatures were recorded in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic when it reached almost 40C. Today France, Spain and Switzerland are expecting temperatures to exceed 40C which is 104F, and are predicted to reach 45C. In France school exams have been called off because most of their schools do not have air-conditioning. Visitors to Rome yesterday sweltered in 41C and were advised not to jump into the Trevi Fountain, tempting though it was, as they would get stiff fines if they did. We are cooler in the U.K. where the south of England recorded 34C yesterday and we in Northern Ireland are at a blissful 22C at present. On the other hand, further north the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden and Finland are having record breaking low temperatures for June at 9-15C, Norway being the coolest.

The next thing we can expect are deaths through heatstroke, there will be outbreaks of wildfires and have water shortages with restrictions imposed on using hosepipes etc., but of course the climate sceptics will still never be convinced that there is any connection between these bizarre weather conditions and climate change.