The Met Office has warned that power cuts could affect 35 parts of the UK as red and amber warnings for extreme heat continue for a second day. An exceptional spell of hot weather is forecast across most of England and Wales on Thursday, June 25, stretching from Manchester to Plymouth, Brighton, and Norwich.
Red and Amber Warnings Remain in Force
The red warning, which began at 9am on Wednesday, remains active until midnight tonight. The amber warning for extreme heat starts at midnight on Thursday and lasts until midnight on Friday, covering the south east, London, parts of the Midlands, East Anglia, and areas up to Manchester and Hull. A yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place for the South West on Thursday evening.
The Met Office warns of adverse health effects beyond vulnerable people and a possible increase in people getting into difficulty in rivers and the sea. There is also a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, which could lead to loss of power and other essential services such as water, electricity, gas, or mobile phone services.
Record-Breaking Temperatures
The current heatwave led to record-breaking temperatures on Wednesday. Provisional figures suggest the temperature reached 36.1°C in Gosport, Hampshire, breaking the previous June record from the summer of 1976. Professor Stephen Belcher, Chief Scientist at the Met Office, described it as “sobering” to see such high temperatures in June.
The heat is expected to spread northwards on Thursday, with an even hotter day ahead for some. If temperatures reach 39°C, it would be the second hottest day in the UK on record. If 38°C is recorded, that would still be in the top five days ever recorded and hotter than any day of the 20th century. The heat is being driven by a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe.
Health Alerts Issued
Red heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the East of England, East Midlands, London, the South East, the South West, and the West Midlands. Amber heat health alerts are in place for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber. These alerts are valid until 11pm on Friday and mean “adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population”.
Counties Affected by the Red Warning in England
Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Greater London, Hampshire, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Berkshire, West Sussex, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire.
Boroughs and Counties Included in the Red Warning in Wales
Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan.
