LONDON: Large parts of western Europe were sweltering once again on Thursday, with Britain and France entering their fifth heat waves of an exceptional summer that’s threatening to break even more records.Forecasters in the UK are predicting the mercury will rise as high as 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in central and southeast England, potentially making it the hottest day of the year.

The heat waves toppled an average temperature record for the June-July period set in 2022, according to the European climate agency Copernicus.

Europe is experiencing its fifth heat wave this season with temperatures nearing forty degrees Celsius. The United Kingdom and France are preparing for extreme heat and potential…