The Met Office amber warning for extreme heat covering the East and South East of England has been extended until 9am on Sunday, but the record-breaking hot spell is expected to end soon.
Record-Breaking Temperatures and Thunderstorms
Heat records were broken on three consecutive days from Wednesday, with a provisional peak of 37.3°C recorded in Santon Downham, Suffolk, on Friday. Saturday saw a high of 32.3°C in the same location. The heat and humidity triggered thunderstorms, prompting a yellow thunderstorm warning active until 11pm on Saturday. The Met Office warned of frequent lightning, large hail, gusty winds, and brief heavy downpours in central and eastern parts of England.
Thunderstorms have already disrupted flights on Saturday. According to the FlightAware tracker, a total of 484 inbound and outbound flights were delayed across Gatwick and Heathrow airports by the evening. Heathrow had 42% of its flights delayed, while Gatwick saw 50%.
Thunderstorm Movement and Potential Impacts
The thunderstorms forecast for Saturday evening are expected to move rapidly north-eastwards before clearing above the North Sea. The Met Office warning indicated that short-term loss of power is possible, and vulnerable structures could be damaged.
Temperature Drop Ahead
High temperatures persist in East Anglia, and some areas may experience another tropical night with temperatures not dropping below 20°C on Saturday. However, temperatures are forecast to drop by around 5°C to 6°C on Sunday, producing highs of 25°C to 26°C on the eastern coast and mid-to-low 20s elsewhere. Humidity levels will also fall, giving “a much fresher feel than what we saw for the latter part of last week,” according to Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslik.
Heatwave Records and Climate Context
The heatwave smashed the long-standing record for June heat, which dates back to the summer of 1976, by more than 1°C. This is significant given that such records were usually broken only by a fraction of a degree in the past. Scientists warned that the heatwave would have been virtually impossible 50 years ago, with human-driven climate change fuelling more intense and frequent extreme heat events.
Impact on Public Health and Services
Health chiefs warned of the impact on services this week, as they faced significantly more life-threatening emergency calls. Hundreds of schools and nurseries were forced to close, and a hosepipe ban was introduced in Kent amid surging demand. Several hospitals declared critical incidents, with University Hospital Southampton forced to cancel a number of planned operations and outpatient appointments. A total of six people drowned during the heatwave, and there were 15 water-related fatalities in May.
Cause of the Heatwave
The heatwave was driven by a “heat dome”—an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat—settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent. This has been compounded by human-driven climate change, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, which is making such extreme heatwaves more frequent and intense.
