The Met Office has issued a ‘level two heat alert’ for the whole of England this week as warm air moving from Europe to Britain brings with it an oncoming heatwave that could reach highs of 95F (35C) by mid-week.
Britons are expected to once again descend upon the nation’s sun-soaked outdoor spaces today as temperatures are expected to reach 82F (28C) in the south, the Met Office warned there was a 80 per cent probability of this week’s heat becoming a health hazard.
The forecaster’s alert, which is activated as soon the risk is above 60 per cent or above for threshold temperatures being reached in one or more regions on at least two consecutive days, comes as revellers were seen flooding London’s Hyde Park and St James’ Park to embrace the rising mercury levels and sunbathe on the sun-drenched grass on Monday.
Elsewhere, hundreds flocked to the the beach in Brighton and Hove to take advantage of the sunny weather and enjoy the sea air after days of torrential rain and thunderstorms.
After issuing the health alert on Monday, the Met Office said it would be working with Public Health England to ensure medical services were ready for the ‘extreme temperature’.
Forecasters predicted the sweltering temperatures in the capital could reach around 86F (30C) , which is two degrees hotter than the forecast for Ibiza, later this week and possibly peak to 95F by Thursday.
This would set a new record for the year, with May 20 being the hottest day of 2020 so far, when the mercury reached 82.8F (28.2C) at Santon Downham in Suffolk.
Prior to this, the previous record was set just the day before when St James’ Park in London recorded a high of 79.2F (26.2C).
Two women lay on the grass in a sunny Hyde Park as temperatures rise and the UK prepares to bask in Mediterranean temperature
As the UK braces itself for sweltering temperatures, people take advantage of the warm weather by punting on the River Cam in Cambridge
Elsewhere, hundreds flooded the beach in Brighton and Hove on Monday to take advantage of the sunny weather and enjoy the sea air
On Bournemouth beach in Dorset, Meredith Baylis, 26, was pictured enjoying the warm weather as she took a stroll along the golden sands
People relax in a sunny Wandsworth common, southwest London, with many buying drinks from local pub takeaways, on Monday evening
One woman decides to take advantage of the heat in St James’ Park in London by lying on the grass and enjoying the sun rays
One woman reads a book on a bench in Hyde Park as mercury levels rise across the country and bring in heatwave temperatures
One woman jogs through a hot Hyde Park on Monday as the country prepares itself for warmer weather over the next few day
One sun-seeker enjoys the rising temperatures in central London’s Hyde Park as forecasters predict Wednesday or Thursday could see temperatures soaring towards the 96.1F (35.6C)
One sun-seekers relaxes on the grass in Hyde Park in London as forecasters predict a a north-south split from Monday, with temperatures reaching the mid-20s in the South of England and mid-teens in Scotland
Elsewhere another person lies on the warm grass in a sweltering Hyde Park as London sees temperatures soar this week
A message released by the Met Office on Monday read: ‘Temperatures are expected to climb significantly this week, with good confidence for a period of hot weather between Wednesday and Friday. Temperatures exceeding 30 Celsius are expected quite widely, especially in central, southern and east England, although most coasts will be less hot.
‘Fine, sunny conditions on Wednesday, just the chance of isolated thunderstorms in the far north. Thursday similar, but a greater risk of thunderstorms breaking out in parts of the north and west later. Friday may see a more general risk of thunderstorms across England. A transition back to fresher, more changeable weather currently looks likely over next weekend, although there is uncertainty in the detail at present. ‘
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Dan Suri said: ‘Northern Ireland and Scotland will be under a band of cloud and rain on Monday and Tuesday, however it’ll be dry elsewhere with plenty of warm sunshine and temperatures reaching 28 or 29 Celsius in a few spots on Tuesday.
‘This hot weather is expected to last until at least Friday and so heatwave conditions are likely to develop for some areas this week.
‘In addition to the warm days we are going to see some warm nights this week as temperatures overnight remain in the mid-high teens across England and Wales.’
Meanwhile Met Office meteorologist Emma Salter said temperatures will ‘build day on day’ across the country and by Wednesday the mercury is set to hit 30C (86F).
With dry and sunny weather expected and the Government’s Covid-19 alert level lowered to three, emergency services across the country are urging people to continue to respect the two-metre social distancing restriction.
People with elderly relatives should also make sure they are finding a way to keep cool during the lockdown, Age UK has warned.
The mercury is expected to reach 28C (82F) in the South on Tuesday, increasing as the week continues
By Wednesday or Thursday the country could see temperatures soaring towards the 35.6C (96F) June record
Forecasters have predicted a spike in temperatures as warm air moving up from Europe returns to Britain (above, Thursday)
After a mild start on Monday, Britain sees sunbathers flood to its outdoor spaces to bask in the Mediterranean temperatures
One woman sunbathes on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, on Monday as the UK embraces warm weather and temperatures of around 86F (30C)
With temperatures expected to ‘build day on day’, a group of people were spotted enjoying the warm climate in the capital’s St James’ Park on Monday
With the capital reaching around 30C (86F), which is two degrees hotter than the forecast for Ibiza, one woman decided to sunbathe on a bench in Hyde Park
One man lies back on his boar on the River Thames in Henley on Thames in Oxford on Monday as mercury levels soared
One woman lies back on the grass at Potters fields Park near Tower Bridge on Monday afternoon as temperatures continue to soar
One person lies on the sun-drenched grass at St James’ Park in London on Monday after days of rain make way for a week of sunshine
One sun-seeker takes advantage of the sweltering heat in London’s St James’ Park on Monday as forecasters predict a spike in temperatures
With forecasters predicting that the sweltering temperatures in the capital could reach around 86F (30C) later this week, many decided to heat out to Tower Bridge to enjoy the weather
A man decides to sunbathe in a sunny Hyde Park in central London this morning as temperatures continue to soar across the nation
A group of people step outside and relax on the grass at Potters fields Park near Tower Bridge in central London Monday afternoon
One sun-seeker plugs in her headphones as she enjoys the heat in the capital which could see temperatures soaring towards 89F (32C) by Wednesday
With temperatures rising and a heatwave on the horizon, two people decide to exercise in a warm St James’ Park in Westminster
A group of people stroll along the River Thames as the heatwave begins to make its arrival to the UK and the capital hits highs of 73F on Monday
One man was pictured taking a jog along the Mall in London (left) while another person enjoyed the sunshine as they travelled through St James’ Park in Westminster on their roller blades (right)
A woman jogs through St James’ Park in Westminster on Monday as the capital is met by sunshine after days of rain and thunderstorms
One reveller basks in the sunshine in St James’ Park, central London this afternoon, as hundreds of people leave their homes to enjoy the heat
A woman jogs through York as sweltering temperatures begin to arrive to the UK Monday after days of torrential rain
People enjoy the sunshine on the River Thames in Oxford as temperatures continue to rise across the country on Monday
Swarms of people arrive to Boscombe pier in Bournemouth beach to relax on the sand and enjoy the rising temperatures
Two people enjoy the warm weather in Hyde Park on Monday as forecasters predict that tmperatures will continue to climb through the week
Elsewhere others were spotted sitting down on the grass in St James’ Park to enjoy the sunny weather after days of rain
Two people lie back on the pebbles on a beach in Folkestone, Kent, on Monday as the UK braces itself for an approaching heatwave
A group of people enjoy the rising temperatures on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, as as warm air moving up from Europe returns to Britain
Two people sit down to enjoy the sunshine in St James’ Park in Westminster Monday morning as temperatures soar to 95F
With mercury levels expected to reach up to 75F (24C) in the South and increase as the week continues, on Monday people were pictured walking through a sunny St James’ Park in Westminster
Two people sit down on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, to bask in the baking temperatures and enjoy the sunshine
A woman uses her umbrella to shield her from the sweltering heat on the beach in Folkestone, Kent, on Monday as the UK continues to enjoy the rising mercury levels
Today (Tuesday, pictured left) highs of 82F are expected in the South, while temperatures are expected to top 91F from tomorrow (Wednesday, pictured right)
The charity’s director, Caroline Abrahams, said older people are more susceptible to heat-related illness.
‘Lockdown and shielding bring added complications as it can be harder to spot someone who may be getting into difficulties and in need of extra help,’ she said.
‘There are so many different ways to get in touch during the pandemic, whether it’s a note through the door, picking up the phone, or, for those online, messaging via social media or chatting by video message like Face Time or Skype.
‘The important thing is keeping in touch and to make sure older people are OK.’
The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has also warned against starting campfires which can easily get out of control, and to call 999 immediately if you spot a fire.
The NFCC said: ‘The weather is forecast to improve and, although we’ve had our fair share of rain recently, the risk of wildfires remains.
‘These fires are often preventable, so if you are enjoying the countryside please be wildfire-aware and look out for our advice.’
However, there could be a change later in the week as meteorologists are unsure how long the heatwave will last, with the potential for thunderstorms on Friday.