Weather in Great Britain: Four-day heat warning comes into force today

A yellow heat warning comes into force for most of England today as temperatures are expected to reach 31°C in parts of the country.

The report, which covers all but one region of the country, highlights the risk of increased strain on health services as a result of the forecast mini-heatwave.

The warning, issued jointly by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office, comes into effect at 8 a.m. and will remain in place until 5 p.m. Thursday.

Temperatures of up to 31 degrees Celsius (87 degrees Fahrenheit) are expected in some parts of the country in the coming days. “Many places” expect temperatures around -25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).

The Met Office says there is a chance of a heatwave in some areas, which occurs when temperatures exceed a certain limit for three days in a row.

View the current weather forecast for your location

The strongest warnings have been issued for the East Midlands, the East of England, East Anglia and the South East, where “significant impacts are expected across the health and social care sector due to high temperatures”.

This includes a “likely observed increase in mortality across the population, particularly in the over-65s age group or in people with health problems, but effects may also be seen in younger age groups,” the UKHSA said.

The warnings say that in the north-west and north-east of England, the west of England, the south-west and London, “the risk of death for vulnerable people increases and the risk of very severe indoor warming increases”.

The heat warning service covers England only and is coloured green (no warning), yellow (response required), amber (requires enhanced response) and red (emergency response), indicating a significant risk to life.

Liam Eslick, a meteorologist at the Met Office, said Monday would see predominantly dry weather with “lots of sunny spells” and highs of 28 degrees Celsius.

Tuesday will be cloudy and overcast in western Scotland and Northern Ireland. Northern England will see some showers, which may turn into thunderstorms, but the rest of the country will see “more sunshine” and temperatures will rise to 20-25 degrees.

The meteorologist said Wednesday was likely to be the warmest day yet, with highs of 30°C (86°F) in the southeast.

Temperatures are expected to remain “widely warm” on Thursday, with highs of up to 31°C expected in some areas.

Heat waves will be short-lived

The upcoming heatwave marks a break from a rainy spring that saw 32 percent more rainfall than average in England and Wales, making it the fifth wettest year in England and the eighth wettest in Wales, according to the Met Office.

However, the heat is expected to last only until mid-week and then give way to showers, thunderstorms and persistent rain.

The wet weather is coming from the Atlantic and is expected to be stopped by a high pressure area for a few days.

Honor Criswick, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “We will start to see the first warm spells next week, but they will be short-lived.”

Read more:
Popular sunscreens fail safety tests
How hot is too hot for the human body to function?
Over 1,000 dead during Hajj as heatwaves spread across the world

Despite the wet weather, it was the warmest May and spring ever recorded in the UK.

The average temperature was 13.1 °C, surpassing the previous record of 12.1 °C set in 2008.

Dan Rudman, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “Whether or not the heatwave continues across all parts of the UK, most temperatures this year will be the highest on record.”

“From Wednesday onwards, the reliability of the forecasts will decrease significantly. There is uncertainty about how long the heat will last and how it will subside. We will keep an eye on this in the coming days.”

“However, cooler, more changeable conditions are likely by next weekend.”