The amber warning for extreme heat covering the East and South East of England has been extended until 9am on Sunday, but the record-breaking hot spell is coming to a close. Heat records were broken on three consecutive days from Wednesday, reaching a provisional peak of 37.3°C in Santon Downham, Suffolk on Friday. Saturday saw a high of 32.3°C in the same location.
Thunderstorms and Flight Disruptions
Thunderstorms have hit the UK, disrupting flights on Saturday. According to the FlightAware tracker, a total of 484 inbound and outbound flights were delayed across Gatwick and Heathrow airports by the evening. Heathrow had 42% of its flights delayed, while Gatwick saw 50% delayed. Thundery showers with gusty winds, lightning and hail are forecast to move into the South East on Saturday evening.
Temperature Drop and Fresher Feel
High temperatures are clinging on in East Anglia, with some areas facing another tropical night that will not drop below 20°C on Saturday. However, temperatures are expected to drop by around 5°C or 6°C the following day. This will produce highs of 25°C to 26°C on the eastern coast and around the mid-to-low 20s elsewhere. Humidity levels will also fall, giving “a much fresher feel than what we saw for the latter part of last week,” according to Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslik.
Record-Breaking Heatwave
The heatwave smashed the long-standing record for June heat, which dates back to the summer of 1976, by more than 1°C. This is significant given such records were usually broken only by a fraction of a degree in the past. A total of six people drowned during the heatwave, and there were 15 water-related fatalities in May. Scientists warned that the heatwave would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, with human-driven climate change fuelling more intense and frequent extreme heat events.
Impact on Health Services and Infrastructure
Health chiefs warned of the impact the conditions were having on services this week as they faced significantly more life-threatening emergency calls. Hundreds of schools and nurseries were forced to close, and a hosepipe ban was brought in for Kent amid surging demand. Several hospitals declared critical incidents, with University Hospital Southampton forced to cancel a number of planned operations and some outpatient appointments.
Heat-Dome and Climate Change
The heatwave was driven by a “heat-dome” – an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat – settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent. This has been compounded by human-driven climate change, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, which is making such extreme heatwaves more frequent and intense.
