The Met Office has issued an urgent warning for UK households to prepare for potential power cuts by gathering batteries and torches before 1am on Monday. The warning comes as an extreme heatwave is expected to sweep across the country, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s Celsius.
Amber Weather Warning Issued
Weather experts have upgraded their alert to an amber warning for extreme heat, which will be in effect from 1am on Monday, June 22 until 11.59pm on Tuesday, June 23. This 47-hour warning covers 51 areas across the UK, including southern England, London, and Wales.
The Met Office cautioned that the unusually hot weather could cause heat-sensitive systems and equipment to fail, leading to power cuts and disruption of other services to homes and businesses.
What the Met Office Says
In a statement, the Met Office said: "A developing hot spell is expected to peak on Monday and Tuesday and lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Following very warm weather on Sunday, very high temperatures are expected on Monday and Tuesday and will likely bring widespread impacts."
They added: "Temperatures are likely to reach the mid-30s Celsius in places on Monday and Tuesday. Some places, particularly in urban areas, may see temperatures remain above 20 Celsius overnight."
Preparation Advice
The Met Office advises households to prepare for potential power cuts by gathering essential items. "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," they said.
Affected Areas
The full list of 51 UK areas affected by the amber heat warning includes:
- Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Southend-on-Sea, Suffolk, Thurrock
- Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Greater London, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham
- Bath and North East Somerset, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire
- Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan
Residents in these areas are urged to take precautions and stay updated with the latest weather forecasts.
