UK weather: Heatwave sweeps Britain
It’s going to keep getting hotter, so hot that today is likely to be the hottest day of the year – with temperatures expected to hit 33C.
That means the UK will be hotter than places such as the Maldives and the Bahamas for the next few days.
The continuing heatwave will see conditions become increasingly warm in central, southern and eastern England, according to the Met Office.
The country’s 2022 record high, so far stands at 32.7C – which was recorded at Heathrow on 17 June.
And Met Office forecaster Greg Dewhurst explained that high pressure would “dominate” on Monday, particularly in England and Wales.
“In Scotland and Northern Ireland, it will be somewhat hazy at times with thick cloud moving in from the North West, possibly bringing some rain at times,” he added.
“But for most of us, it will be a dry and sunny day, well into the high 20s from the morning, with central, southern and eastern parts of England to possibly see maximum highs of 33C.
“So it’s very possible tomorrow will be the hottest day of the year so far, it will certainly be on par with the existing record, maybe more.
UK could hit 40C as Europe faces extreme heat
A current heatwave sweeping Europe could see temperatures hit 40C – that’ll be a first for the UK.
According to the latest modelling, the record-breaking temperature could be reached by mid-July as large parts of the South East could hit temperatures of 39C.
The UK’s highest ever temperature was recorded in 2019 when Cambridge Botanic Garden hit a massive 38.7C. Before that, it was 38.5C recorded in Kent in August 2003.
But the prediction has been met with a “mix of shock and surprise” by forecasters, who claim it’s actually unlikely the UK will hit 40C – at least this summer.
“Nobody can recall 40C appearing in a major global forecast
system for the UK,” said Simon Lee, a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University.
“Especially when this forecast was also predicting temperatures over 39C over a huge area of South East England.
“Given that the UK’s previous hottest days have only seen a few places exceed 38C, this was unlike anything forecasters had ever seen before.”
But it’s important to remember this prediction has come from a single member of one ensemble forecast system.
The systems are designed to capture a range of possible outcomes by running a model many times and producing a set of forecasts.
Predictions carry more weight if more members of the set have the same one.
“All the factors have to align perfectly for the UK to attain 40C,” said Dr Lee.
“While it is possible, it’s extremely unlikely, even if the risk is the highest it’s ever been.
“For example, for the weekend of 16/17 July 2022, most forecasts are in the low-to-mid 30s, and there are just as many forecasts showing maxima not much above 20C as there are showing 40C.”
Heat alerts issued
The Met Office has issued a level 3 Heat Health Alert from 9 am on Monday to 9 am on Friday in the East and South East of England, the rest of the country is on a level 2 alert.
The system has four levels and highlights the potential health impacts of these temperatures.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has advised people to stay hydrated and avoid the sunshine between 11 am and 3 pm.
The elderly and those with underlying health conditions and those who live alone are more at risk, according to the agency.
The alerts are in place until Friday morning but could be extended if the heatwave continues.
