The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for Wednesday and Thursday in the face of extreme heat and humidity.
Temperatures Soar Above 37C
The weather forecaster said that in this week’s heatwave, parts of England and Wales are likely to see temperatures exceed 37C in the shade and could even see them rise to 38C to 40C in some places. The extreme heat, which has been very rare in the UK until now, will be accompanied by high humidity, and very warm and humid nights which will make it hard for people to recover overnight, the Met Office said.
Health and Daily Life Impact
The heat will have impacts on health, and there will be “significant disruption” to daily life, it warned, as it urged people to adapt their routines where possible to cope with the heat. As part of the rare warning, forecasters say conditions will bring a risk to life and population-wide health impacts that are no longer limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat while “substantial changes” in working practices and daily routines will be required.
Red Alert Area and Timing
The Met Office had already issued an amber weather warning covering large areas of England and Wales from Monday to Thursday. But an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham will now be covered by a red alert from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.
Infrastructure and Travel Disruptions
There is also a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, with the loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity, gas or mobile phone services. Significantly more people will likely visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents, the Met Office said. And people can expect travel disruptions, including delays on roads and road closures as well as delays and cancellations to rail and air travel which bring significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays.
Meteorologist's Perspective
Dr Will Lang, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: “We are forecasting extreme temperatures in the next few days, particularly on Wednesday and Thursday, when it looks like we’ll be seeing maximum temperatures into the high 30s. But also we are stressing very high overnight temperatures which will be very uncomfortable for vulnerable groups, and very humid conditions as well.” He told the Press Association the conditions would far exceed the heat seen in June in the past, and was “a much bigger scale” than the heatwave the UK experienced recently at the end of May.
Comparison to Previous Heatwaves
Dr Lang also said the extreme heat would be of greater longevity than the record heatwave in 2022, when, for a “short, sharp” period, temperatures climbed above 40C in some places for the first time ever in the UK. He said: “We’ve got several days into the mid to high 30s, and humidity is a lot higher, so it could be a lot more impactful, including for the general population, so we’re asking everyone to consider their behaviours and travel and how to keep cool in the high temperatures. These heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more severe due to the changing climate.”
Cause of the Heatwave
Scientists said the cause of the heatwave is similar to the “heat dome” seen last month, which involves a “high-pressure” weather system stalling over a region and trapping heat.
