An additional Met Office alert has been issued for extreme heat in the UK, as Britons are set to endure oppressive conditions with temperatures potentially reaching 40C. The soaring temperatures are a result of a “heat-dome” phenomenon settling over western Europe, leading to extreme weather conditions across the continent.
The peak of the heatwave is expected today and Thursday, with red warnings already in effect from the Met Office. In addition, the national weather agency has introduced a new amber warning for Friday in response to the evolving forecast.
Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge stated that an amber warning has been issued for eastern and central England on Friday, with the possibility of further updates as more details become available. The new amber alert covers a significant portion of England, particularly central, southern, and eastern regions, extending as far north as Manchester.
A red weather warning for extreme heat, spanning from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham, came into force on Wednesday morning and is set to last until Thursday evening. During the peak of the heatwave on these two days, temperatures could approach the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C recorded in Lincolnshire in July 2022, potentially surpassing the June record of 35.6C set in Hampshire in 1976.
The Met Office highlighted that the combination of extreme heat and humidity could pose risks to public health, infrastructure, and essential services like power and water supplies. Sectors such as transport, energy, and water supply may experience heat-related challenges. The agency also warned of a potential increase in water safety incidents as more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes, or rivers during the heatwave.
BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes predicted that the June temperature record is likely to be broken by a significant margin, with temperatures expected to reach 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.
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