The Met Office has forecast peak temperatures of 34°C in the South East by Thursday or Friday next week, as another heatwave approaches parts of the UK. Southern Water has announced a hosepipe ban in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, effective from 12:01 a.m. on July 10, citing low river levels after the warmest spring on record and a record-breaking heatwave.
Temperature Forecast and Health Alerts
Temperatures in the south could reach 28°C on Saturday, according to the Met Office. A week-long yellow heat health alert from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) comes into force at midday on Saturday, covering the East Midlands, east, south-east and south-west of England, including London, and the West Midlands. The alert will remain in place until 8 p.m. on July 11.
The UKHSA warned that within the warning area, minor impacts were likely across health and social care services due to high temperatures, including increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and a greater risk to life for the same group. It also highlighted a potential increase in water-related incidents, including risks from cold water shock and drowning.
Comparison to June Heatwave
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: “We have got a heatwave on the way across parts of southern England and Wales. Temperatures are already quite high across the South East today, we could get 28°C in London. Elsewhere, it’s not as hot as we have got temperatures closer to average but they will climb as we go into next week.” She added that the northern areas of the country would be cloudier with spells of rain, creating a north/south split. “By comparison to the heatwave we saw in June, this heatwave won’t be as hot and humid, but it will be a prolonged spell of hot weather which lasts around a week,” she said.
Hosepipe Ban Details
Southern Water said on its website that “the warmest spring on record, followed by a record-breaking heatwave, has left river levels 25% lower than expected for this time of year.” The River Test has lost a third of its water within the last month, “putting pressure on our ability to treat and supply your water.” The company stated: “To protect local rivers, including the River Test and Itchen that supply most of your water, and to keep taps flowing, we need to introduce restrictions.”
The hosepipe ban prohibits non-essential activities such as watering gardens (including sprinkler systems), filling paddling pools, hot tubs, swimming pools, ponds or fountains, and washing cars, patios or windows. Customers with medical needs, including those on the priority services register with medical or mobility needs, blue badge holders, and those on the WaterSure tariff, are exempt. Southern Water said the ban would be removed “as soon as we can,” adding “this can only happen when there’s enough water in our reservoirs, rivers and underground aquifers to meet demand.”
Recent Heat Records
The UKHSA’s new alert follows a sweltering heatwave last week, during which the Met Office issued a rare red warning for extreme heat for parts of the country. The UK set a provisional June temperature record of 37.7°C in Lingwood, Norfolk, beating the previous June record of 35.6°C from 1976 by more than 2°C—a significant margin compared to typical record breaks of a fraction of a degree.
