Week-long heatwave due in England with 34C peak in south-east | UK weather
Another heatwave is coming, with top temperatures predicted to reach 34C in parts of the UK.
Temperatures in the south of England could reach 28C on Saturday, according to the Met Office.
Health officials’ week-long warning came into force at midday in some parts of England, warning that high temperatures in the coming days could pose a greater risk to life for vulnerable people.
Temperatures in the south-east of England are forecast to rise to 29°C on Sunday, followed by a high of 34°C on Thursday or Friday, with a low approaching 30°C next week, the Met Office said.
The forecaster added that although long periods of hot weather were expected in some parts of the UK, it would not be as hot and humid as last month’s heatwave.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health warnings in England from the afternoon of 4 July until 8pm on 11 July, covering the east, East Midlands, West Midlands, south-west, London and south-east.
The agency said high temperatures within the warning area were likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services, including increased use of healthcare by vulnerable people and a greater risk to life for the same group.
It also warned of an increase in water-related incidents due to the increased risk of cold water shock and drowning.
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “A heatwave is approaching across the south of England and parts of Wales, with temperatures already quite high in the south-east today. We could see 28C in London.”
“Temperatures in other places are not as warm as we are approaching average, but temperatures will increase as we move into next week. The northern parts of the country will be cloudier and wetter at times, so there is a north-south divide.
“The highest temperatures in the south tomorrow will be 29 degrees. At the beginning of next week, we will see temperatures approaching the lowest 30 degrees.”
There is no heat health warning for Wales.
Mitchell added: “The peak temperature looks to be Thursday or Friday: 34 degrees in the Southeast. Compared to the heat wave we saw in June, this heat wave will not be as hot and humid, but will be an extended period of hot weather lasting about a week.”
Meanwhile, Southern Water has issued a waterspout across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight from 12.01am on July 10.
The ban prevents customers from using hoses for non-essential activities, including: watering gardens via sprinklers; filling of children’s pools, jacuzzis, swimming pools, ponds or fountains; and washing cars, patios or windows.
The UKHSA’s new warning follows last week’s heatwave, which saw the Met Office issue a rare red heat warning for parts of the country and the UKHSA also introduced red heat health warnings.
A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for three days for the first time since 2021, when extreme heat warnings were received in the UK. Records dating back several decades, and in some cases as far as a century, were challenged or exceeded during the three-day red extreme heat alert.
Lingwood in Norfolk, England broke the provisional June temperature record of 37.7C, according to the Met Office.
This beat the previous June record of 35.6C in the UK, which dates back to 1976, by more than 2C.
The frequency and intensity of heat waves have increased worldwide. Met Office forecasts show that hot weather will become more common in our future climate, particularly in the south-east of the UK. It is estimated that temperatures will increase in every season, but the hottest month will be the summer months.
