The United Kingdom is also bracing for "extreme heat": a red alert has been issued

© Sam Knight via Unsplash

The Met Office, the UK’s national weather service, has issued the highest red warning for extreme heat for Wednesday and Thursday. The United Kingdom is also facing a severe heat wave that is expected to break June’s temperature records.

This red warning is in addition to the existing orange warnings for extreme heat that are in effect from Monday through to Thursday and cover much of southern and central England and most of Wales. Temperatures are expected to rise relentlessly throughout the week, peaking midway through the week.

The heat will intensify rapidly on Monday, according to the Met Office, with temperatures in southern England potentially reaching 34°C. By Tuesday, temperatures will rise further to 37°C in southern England and 35 °C in southeastern Wales.

The heatwave will peak on Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to rise to at least 39°C, with the possibility that this figure will be exceeded in some places. By Friday, conditions will ease to maximum temperatures of 32°C in the eastern regions.

June records expected

The current record for the highest temperature in the United Kingdom in the month of June is 35.6°C, recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and at Camden Square in June 1957. Meteorologists say this record is very likely to be broken. The June temperature record for Wales of 33.7°C, set in 2000, is also expected to be broken. The records of 32.2°C in Scotland and 30.8°C in Northern Ireland are unlikely to be broken.

Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, warned on the agency’s website: “Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events, and we expect serious and significant impacts from this heat wave, with likely health effects for many, even beyond the group that is normally more vulnerable to heat.” According to Sidaway, the heat stress will be even harder to bear because the nights remain warm, making it difficult for people to recover from the daytime heat.

The Met Office is also warning of an increase in potential inc idents near bodies of water, as more people are expected to head to coastal areas, lakes, or rivers.

With a gradual shift toward more westerly weather patterns, temperatures are expected to begin to drop slowly over the weekend.

Illustration: © Sam Knight via Unsplash