The Royal Parks has issued a warning to visitors ahead of an expected fourth heatwave, advising them to avoid sitting underneath trees due to the risk of falling branches.
Heatwave conditions forecast
The Met Office confirmed that temperatures from July 28 will rise high enough to meet the UK heatwave threshold, defined as three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the county-specific threshold. The hot spell is expected to last until Thursday.
A Met Office spokesperson said: "From Tuesday, temperatures are forecast to rise more widely, with much of England, Wales and eastern Scotland seeing a dry day with sunny conditions. This marks the start of an increasingly warm, but relatively short-lived, spell of hot weather."
Health alerts and regional variation
The UK Health Security Agency has issued Heat Health Alerts for parts of England from Tuesday to Thursday. While some places may reach official heatwave criteria, it will not be as widespread as previous heatwaves, with the greatest chance in parts of the southeast. Areas further north and west will see a more changeable pattern.
Royal Parks' safety measures
In response, Royal Parks said it is taking "active measures" to reduce the risk from falling branches, a phenomenon known as "summer branch drop" where trees shed branches due to stress from prolonged hot weather, especially when heat is interspersed with heavy rain. As a precaution, deckchair concessionaires have been instructed not to place deckchairs directly beneath tree canopies.
A spokesman added: "Managing a landscape with tens of thousands of trees is complex. While it is never possible to eliminate risk entirely, we take active measures to reduce it as far as possible."
