July heat record set at historic gardens Thursday July 20, 01:30 PM

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's hottest July day on record was centred on a
Victorian botanical garden in Surrey, the Met Office said on Thursday.

The thermometer at the Royal Horticultural Society's Wisley Garden surged to
36.5 degrees Centigrade (97.7 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday as Britain sweltered
in a heatwave.

"It was very hot -- the garden did struggle yesterday," said marketing
executive Anna

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Tomkins.
Wisley broke the previous record for July of 36.0 C recorded in 1911 just 10
miles away in Epsom.

"Quite often when we do have heatwaves, Wisley for some reason does become
one of the hottest areas," Tomkins said.

Gardeners at the 240-acre site had started work before 6 a.m. to avoid the
worst heat of the day, while the air-conditioned apple store at the garden
proved irresistible for many staff.

"We would like it slightly cooler so that people can come and enjoy the
garden because it does look stunning at the moment," she said. "Despite the
hot weather, everything is very colourful."

Temperatures across Britain were back below 28 C on Thursday, cooler than
Wednesday's peak but still well above typical July levels.

"The intense heat has passed by for the time being," said a Met Office
spokesman, adding that temperatures would remain in the high 20s over the
coming days.

The all-time British high of 38.5 C was recorded at Faversham in Kent, on
August 10, 2003.


Mike
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Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association
www.rnshipmates.co.uk