An additional alert for severe heat has been issued by the Met Office in the UK, as Brits brace for sweltering conditions with temperatures potentially reaching 40C.
The ongoing heatwave, attributed to a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe, has led to soaring temperatures across the continent this week.
The peak temperatures are anticipated for today and Thursday, with red warnings already in effect by the Met Office. Additionally, a new amber warning has been introduced for Friday in anticipation of the scorching weather.
Covering a significant portion of England, particularly central, southern, and eastern regions, the amber alert extends as far north as Manchester. It will be in place from midnight on Thursday for 24 hours.
The Met Office warns that the intense heat will persist across much of England, with daytime temperatures likely to exceed 30 degrees Celsius, peaking around 38 degrees Celsius in eastern and central England. High humidity levels will accompany these high temperatures.
While cooler conditions are expected to gradually prevail from the west following this period, warm temperatures will persist in parts of east and southeastern England through Saturday, though not as extreme as earlier in the week.
A red weather warning for extreme heat, encompassing an area from London to Swansea and the south coast to Birmingham, is currently active until 9pm on Thursday. During the peak of the heatwave, temperatures could approach the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C recorded in Lincolnshire in July 2022.
This heatwave is projected to surpass the June temperature record of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976. The combination of extreme heat and humidity could pose risks to public health, infrastructure, and essential services like power and water supplies, affecting various sectors like transportation, energy, and water distribution.
The Met Office also anticipates a rise in water safety incidents during the heatwave as more people are expected to visit coastal areas, lakes, or rivers. Weather forecaster Chris Fawkes predicts a new June temperature record to be set with highs reaching around 37C to 38C.
Overnight temperatures on Wednesday remained above 20C in many areas, with locations like Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and Heathrow in west London not dropping below 22.3C and 22.1C, respectively.