The Met Office has issued rare red and amber extreme heat warnings covering 148 UK areas, with temperatures expected to climb to an almost unthinkable 39°C to 40°C in parts of the country. The warnings come into effect from Wednesday and Thursday, with the red warning active from 9am on Wednesday until 9pm on Thursday, and the amber warning from midnight on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday.
Red Warning: Danger to Life
The top-level red warning for extreme heat covers 48 areas, including major cities such as Birmingham, London, Oxford, Cardiff, and Bath. The Met Office warned of "population wide adverse health effects" and "substantial changes in daily routines" being necessary. The heat could also cause "heat sensitive systems and equipment" to fail, leading to "power cuts and the loss of other services to homes and businesses."
Areas under the red warning include Northamptonshire, Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Thurrock, Bracknell Forest, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Greater London, Hampshire, Kent, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Reading, Slough, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham, Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, and several Welsh counties including Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, and Vale of Glamorgan, as well as Herefordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, and Worcestershire.
Amber Warning: Widespread Impact
The amber warning covers a larger area, including the South-west of England, the South coast, all of Wales, all of the midlands, and parts of the North, such as Peterborough, Nottingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Norwich, Cambridge, Stoke, Exeter, and Brighton. This warning affects 100 areas, with many overlapping the red warning zone.
The Met Office stated: "Hot and humid weather is expected to continue through the middle of the week, with exceptionally warm temperatures both day and night." They added that "population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life."
Health Advice and Precautions
The Met Office advised the public to take precautions: "Keep yourself safe by following these simple steps to reduce the likelihood of the heat making you feel unwell; drink plenty of fluids, keep out of the sun and avoid any exercise between 11am-3pm when the sun is strongest and close curtains in rooms that face the sun. If you are going out take water with you, stay in the shade, wear sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat."
Regarding potential power cuts, the Met Office recommended: "People cope better with power cuts when they have prepared for them in advance. It’s easy to do; consider gathering torches and batteries, a mobile phone power pack and other essential items."
Full List of Affected Areas
The full list of UK areas affected by the warnings includes 48 areas under the red warning and 100 areas under the amber warning, with some areas appearing in both. The warnings are in place from Wednesday to Thursday, with the red warning starting at 9am on Wednesday and ending at 9pm on Thursday, and the amber warning from midnight on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday.
