UK weather: Britain to swelter under TEN-day heatwave

Britain is in the midst of a scorching ten-day heatwave which will continue until at least Friday, bringing temperatures of up to 99F (37C) today.

The UK is experiencing an extraordinary period of scorching weather, with the mercury now having been above the official heatwave level of over 82F (28C) since last Wednesday – and a level three heat health alert in place.

Maximum temperatures of between 93F (34C) and 99F are now expected every day from today until Thursday, before they are expected to fall slightly on Friday to 82F – but this will still be above the heatwave threshold. 

Thermometers got up to at least 93F (34C) in South East England on both days of the weekend just gone, following the joint ninth hottest day in UK history last Friday when 97.5F (36.4C) was recorded in West London.

The heatwave threshold is three days over 82F in London and 77F (25C) in most other parts of the UK. However, after days of scorching temperatures, large swathes of the UK could be hit by severe thunderstorms this week.

Dawn over the New Forest in Hampshire this morning at the start of another very hot day for much of the country

The heat is still on but the Met Office – which has issued a broad yellow weather warning covering much the UK from Monday to Thursday – says where there are thunderstorms ‘they could be significant and disruptive’.

Yesterday was ‘another hot day’ in southern England, where temperatures reached 93.2F (34C) at Herstmonceux, East Sussex, and 92.8F (33.8C) at both London Heathrow Airport and Gosport in Hampshire, the Met Office said.

How Britain’s ten-day heatwave is unfolding 

  1. Wednesday – 83.1F/28.4C (Santon Downham, Suffolk)
  2. Thursday – 86.2F/30.1C (Wisley, Surrey)
  3. Friday – 97.5F/36.4C (Kew, West London)
  4. Saturday – 94.1F/34.5C (Herstmonceux, East Sussex)
  5. Sunday – 93.2F/34C (Herstmonceux, East Sussex)
  6. Today – 99F/37C (forecast)
  7. Tomorrow – 97F/36C (forecast)
  8. Wednesday – 97F/36C (forecast)
  9. Thursday – 91F/33C (forecast)
  10. Friday – 82F/28C (forecast)

On Saturday, HM Coastguard dealt with 340 incidents across the whole of the UK – the highest number of call-outs in a single day for more than four years.

The Coastguard co-ordinated search and rescue responses to a wide range of incidents, including people being cut off by the tide and children swept out to sea on inflatables. In total, the service rescued 146 people and assisted a further 371.

South East Water urged its customers to put away their hose pipes, garden sprinklers and garden water toys as it said that a spike in demand had left some people with low pressure or no water.

It said it has been pumping an additional 150 million litres of water around its network, the equivalent of 27 million additional toilet flushes, to keep up with demand over the summer.

They put the increase in water use down to more people being at home and taking up DIY and gardening projects during the rise in staycations.

Meanwhile a woman in her 30s died after getting difficulties in the sea yesterday at Waxham, Norfolk, police said. 

And a search for a missing child in the water in the west of Scotland in the River Leven, near Balloch Bridge, ended with police finding the 12-year-old girl’s body.

Police Scotland officers were called to a report of the girl being in difficulty about 6.45pm yesterday. At around 9.45pm, the girl was recovered from the water and pronounced dead at the scene. 

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: ‘For England and Wales over the next four days, there is a risk of some very severe weather in places but it is not going to be everywhere.

‘Away from the thunderstorms, it is still going to be very hot. It is not going to be wall-to-wall sunshine, but it is not going to be a washout each day.’

Top ten UK temperatures recorded in UK history 

  1. 101.7F/38.7C – July 25, 2019
  2. 101.3F/38.5C – August 10, 2003
  3. 100F/37.8C – July 31, 2020
  4. 98.8F/37.1C – August 3, 1990
  5. 98.1F/36.7C – July 1, 2015
  6. 98.1F/36.7C – August 9, 1911
  7. 97.9F/36.6C – August 2, 1990
  8. 97.7F/36.5C – July 19, 2006
  9. 97.5F/36.4C – August 7, 2020
  10. 97.5F/36.4C – August 6, 2003

The weather warning means there is a risk of torrential rain, hail, frequent lightning and strong gusty winds in much of England and Wales if intense thunderstorms break out.

Downpours could see totals of 1.2in (30mm) to 1.6in (40mm) of rainfall in an hour, with some locations potentially receiving 2.4in (60mm) to 3.1in (80mm) in three hours. The Met Office added that these would be fairly isolated incidents.

Regarding today, Mr Snell said: ‘The warning does not imply that everyone is going to see them (thunderstorms) – a lot of places will remain dry, sunny and hot – but we will see some fairly severe thunderstorms developing over the course of the day.’

Western areas may be more at risk of thunderstorms than regions in the east, but anywhere in the warning area could be struck – and most parts will stay dry, he stressed.

The sunshine is still set to hit the south east and there will be ‘a high chance of 36C’ in the region.

Friday saw the hottest August day in 17 years, with temperatures hitting 97.5F (36.4C) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in West London.

Mr Snell said: ‘We started this run of 30C days on Thursday, and Monday will be the fifth day where we will have those temperatures down in the south eastern quarter of the UK.’

Scotland and Northern Ireland may have a lesser risk of seeing thunderstorms on Thursday as temperatures start to fall away.

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