Never before

24º C at 7:00 a.m. is not normal for this country. Neither is the projected 41º in some parts of the country later in the day. For the first time an Extreme Weather warning has been issued by the Met Office, and many people are struggling to cope.

The fact is, the UK is simply not prepared for such conditions, unlike our European neighbours - and other hot climates - that adjust their working practices to avoid the heat of the day (siesta), or have air-conditioning at home or in the workplace. Temporary as this heatwave may be, it is surely a warning of things to come.

Addendum: Heathrow broke the 40ºC mark at 12:50 p.m.

 

© 2022

Christmas gift from 2019

Inflating the envelope
 

Leeds Castle

Gaining altitude

Flying high enough to see the curvature of the Earth (actually it's shot using a fisheye lens)

Shortly after landing

Delayed because of the Covid pandemic lockdowns - and several cancellations thereafter because of un-flyable weather - it was shortly after 6 a.m. today that the Spitfire balloon took off from the grounds of the Great Danes Hotel* near Hollingbourne, Kent, with Nic and I onboard.

Operated by Kent Ballooning, the flight (in perfect conditions), reached an altitude of 3,000 feet, lasted 1 hour 25 minutes and covered 9.8 miles (15.2 km), before making a textbook landing at the Kent Glider Club.

*One of the hotels used by The Beatles during the filming of Magical Mystery Tour.

© 2022