The Met Office has warned that temperatures could hit 35C in nine areas on Wednesday, with amber heat health alerts in place across the East Midlands, East of England, London and Southeast England. Yellow heat health alerts have also been issued for the South West, West Midlands and Yorkshire & The Humber.
Warmest Counties
Forecasters say Wednesday will be the warmest day of the week, with the mercury expected to peak at 35C in several counties. The warmest areas are likely to be Berkshire, Surrey and Buckinghamshire. On Monday, the highest temperature recorded was 28C at Heathrow Airport in west London.
Wildfire Threat
The sweltering conditions increase the risk of wildfires, which have already occurred frequently in the UK this month. Firefighters battled a blaze in the Cairngorms for at least 10 days, forcing families to evacuate. Across Europe, hundreds of thousands have been evacuated from their homes in France, where President Emmanuel Macron described the situation as the most difficult since the Second World War.
Cooler Conditions Ahead
By Thursday, temperatures are expected to ease across much of the country, though the Southeast may still reach 29C, matching the heatwave threshold. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Gregory Wolverson said: "This is a short-lived spell of heat, but temperatures will climb quickly through the first half of the week, particularly in the southeast. By Wednesday, some areas could see temperatures in the mid-30Cs, and while the heat will not be widespread across the whole of the UK, it will be enough for parts of the southeast to likely meet official heatwave criteria by Thursday." He added that northern areas could see heavier showers and isolated thunderstorms.
Nine Counties Forecast 35C on Wednesday
- Berkshire
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Hampshire
- Kent
- Oxfordshire
- Surrey
- West Sussex
