An amber extreme heat alert has been issued by the Met Office as temperatures are expected to reach 34C on Monday. This scorching weather follows a warm weekend, with the heatwave threshold likely to be surpassed in parts of southern and eastern England. Saturday will see temperatures hitting 28C in some areas of the south and south-east before rising to 32C on Sunday.
Monday will see temperatures soaring to 34C, with Tuesday also experiencing mid-30s temperatures. The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning covering London, the east and south-east of England, as well as parts of the south-west of England and Wales for both days.
There is a 40% chance of surpassing the highest-ever June temperature of 35.6C set in 1957 and 1976, according to the Met Office. Some regions may have temperatures staying above 20C overnight on Monday and Tuesday, especially in urban areas.
Health alerts for amber heat have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the east, south-east, and south-west of England, along with London, until 8 pm on Tuesday.
Greg Wolverson, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office, mentioned that while the heatwave criteria will be met in the south and south-east of England over the weekend, temperatures in the low 30s are possible. The warmth will intensify at the beginning of the week, leading to potential impacts due to high temperatures overnight.
The hot weather may also bring isolated thundery downpours on Monday and Tuesday. The Met Office’s three-month summer outlook for June to August suggests a higher likelihood of a hot summer than usual, warning of potential heatwave conditions at times.
England and Wales recently experienced their warmest spring on record, with the UK hitting its hottest May temperature ever at 35.1C in London’s Kew Gardens. Tragically, at least 15 individuals lost their lives after encountering difficulties in open water during the heatwave.
Samantha Hughes, national water safety partner at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, emphasized the importance of caution as warmer weather approaches, reminding the public that cold water can induce cold water shock.
A climate attribution study conducted by Met Office scientists last summer revealed that the climate crisis has significantly increased the likelihood of surpassing temperature records. Breaking previous temperature records, like the one set in May, is now around three times more probable in today’s climate impacted by greenhouse gas emissions.
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