A yellow rain warning has been issued for parts of north-west Scotland, while temperatures of 30C are expected in southern England early next week, the Met Office has announced. The warning comes into force at 5pm on Sunday and lasts until 10am on Monday, with rainfall of 40mm widely and up to 100mm over higher ground.
Heatwave Conditions and Health Alerts
Yellow heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) covering the East Midlands, East of England, South East, South West including London, and the West Midlands. The alerts are in place from midday on Saturday until 8pm on July 11. The UKHSA warned that within these areas, minor impacts on health and social care services are likely, including increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and a greater risk to life for that group.
The agency also highlighted a potential increase in water-related incidents, such as cold water shock and drowning. Temperatures reached 29C on Saturday and are expected to be similar on Sunday, with 31C possible on Monday in the South East, according to the Met Office. A peak of 34C is forecast for Thursday in the South East.
Overnight Warmth for England vs Mexico Match
Fans staying out to watch England play Mexico in the early hours will experience temperatures in the mid to high teens. Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “This coming night should be quite warm across much of England, temperatures in the mid to high teens. At 1am in the South East of England temperatures will still be around 16 or 17C, further north, you’re looking at 14 or 15C, so pretty warm for overnight. It should be quite comfortable for walking home after the match. It’s looking quite dry across much of England tonight.”
Heatwave Declaration and Comparisons
Ms Mitchell added that the South East is already in heatwave threshold category and will officially be in a heatwave by the end of Sunday. She said: “We’re already in heatwave threshold category in the South East so, by the end of tomorrow, the South East will officially be in a heatwave.” Thursday is expected to be the peak at 34C, before temperatures slowly decline, but parts of the south will remain in the low 30s at the end of next week.
The forecaster noted that while there will be a prolonged spell of hot weather, it will not be as hot and humid as last month’s heatwave. In June, the UK set a provisional record of 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, beating the previous June record of 35.6C from 1976 by more than 2C. Such records have typically been broken by only fractions of a degree in the past.
Hosepipe Bans in Southern England
Southern Water has announced a hosepipe ban from 12.01am on July 10 in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. South East Water’s temporary hosepipe ban for Kent came into force on Friday. These measures come amid concerns over water supply during the prolonged dry and hot weather.
