Record-breaking temperatures are hitting the UK, resulting in school closures and travel disruption as rare red heat weather warnings come into force. According to forecasters, temperatures could hit 40C on Wednesday and Thursday in some parts of England and Wales as a “heat-dome” settling over western Europe has brought extreme conditions across the continent.
Red Warning Details
A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday. During the peak of the heatwave on these two days, the temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C, which was measured in Lincolnshire in July 2022.
Meanwhile, the North East is under an amber alert. This is in effect from Wednesday, June 24, to Thursday, June 25.
Impacts on Health and Infrastructure
A combination of extreme heat and humidity could impact public health, infrastructure, power and water supplies, the Met Office said, and cause heat-related issues for a range of sectors such as transport, energy and water supply. There could also be an increase in water safety incidents during the heatwave, the agency said, as more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes or rivers.
The red warnings mean “severe impacts are expected across health and social care services due to the high temperatures”. This includes: increased risk to life across the whole population, with significant impacts on older people; significantly increased demand on all health and social care services; the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services; hot indoor environments making provision of care challenging; and national critical infrastructure failures, such as generators and power outages. Water‑related incidents may increase, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning.
Regional Alerts
Red heat health alerts have been issued for the East of England, East Midlands, London, South East, South West, and West Midlands. The alerts came into force at 1am today and are in place until 11pm tomorrow.
Meanwhile, an amber warning has been issued for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and The Humber. This means “significant impacts are expected across health and social care services due to the high temperatures”.
