King Charles was seen being fanned by aides at a climate event on Tuesday, as a 'heat-dome driven furnace' pushed temperatures in southern England towards 40C — a humidity-laden heatwave that forecasters say will feel far worse than the record-breaking scorcher of July 2022.
The monarch, attending an engagement during the second heatwave of the year, required assistance to keep cool as the mercury climbed. The image, released by the Independent, captured the moment aides stepped in with fans — a stark illustration of the conditions gripping England and Wales.
“King Charles fanned by aides as humidity-laden heat dome pushes feels-like temps to 41C.”
June temperature records are set to be broken this week, with the thermometer expected to reach the mid- to high 30s Celsius. But the real story is how it will feel. Where the forecast is a maximum of 35C, it may feel like 41C — thanks to an unrelenting heat dome, high humidity and back-to-back tropical nights.
“This is not just a heatwave, it is a heat-dome driven furnace that will grip most of the southern UK and push temperatures into truly exceptional territory,” said Dr Akshay Deoras, senior research scientist at the University of Reading, in a statement to BBC Weather.
The heat dome — a static, large area of high pressure — is the driving force, causing air to sink, compress and heat up as it hits the ground. During the May heatwave, the centre of the dome was over the UK, allowing heat to build from drier sources. This week, it originated in the hot and humid sub-tropics and has been centred more over France, where temperatures have soared into the 40s. As it shifted north and east, a south-easterly airflow pulled hotter, moister air into the UK.
This moist air creates much higher humidity, which dramatically increases heat stress. The body cools itself by evaporating sweat; in humid conditions, sweat cannot evaporate as effectively, so the air next to the skin stays warm. The result is a “feels like” temperature significantly above the actual reading.
Southern England and parts of Wales are expected to see the thermometer rise to 38 or 39C. Comparisons have been drawn to the historic heatwave of July 2022, when the UK recorded 40C for the first time. But during that event, the air was very dry. This time, the combination of extreme heat and humidity makes the conditions particularly dangerous — and, for many, unbearable.
As the nation swelters, the image of a monarch being fanned at a climate-focused event served as an uncomfortable reminder of the heatwave’s severity, and the widening gap between those who can summon aides and those who must simply endure.