The Department for Education (DfE) has warned parents that schools may need to adapt to the scorching weather by rescheduling physical activity, including sports days, as temperatures are set to peak at 34C on Thursday or Friday across the south east of England. This makes Britain hotter than Ibiza, which is expected to reach 30C this week.
Some teachers have already cancelled sports days, and education unions say it is "inevitable" that more will be shelved. The Met Office has confirmed a heatwave is on the way across parts of southern England and Wales, with a north/south split expected.
Health Alerts and Temperature Forecast
The UK Health Security Agency has issued week-long yellow health alerts across the country, running until Saturday, marking the third heatwave of the year. Temperatures will reach 29C in the south on Monday before soaring past 30C. In the second half of the week, highs in the high 20s are expected in north-east England and eastern Scotland.
Areas on the western side of the UK, such as Lancashire, the Lake District, western Scotland, and Northern Ireland, will experience an Atlantic breeze, with temperatures in the low to mid-20s.
Met Office meteorologist Becky Mitchell said: "We have got a heatwave on the way across parts of southern England and Wales. Elsewhere, it’s not as hot as we have got temperatures closer to average but they will climb as we go into next week. The northern areas of the country will be cloudier with spells of rain at times, so there’s a north/south split."
Hosepipe Bans and Heatwave Impact
Southern Water has issued a hosepipe ban from 12.01am on July 10 in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. South East Water’s temporary hosepipe ban for Kent came into force last Friday.
The heatwave comes as experts estimate that recent heatwaves across Europe killed between 17,000 and 25,000 people. Researchers claim the June heatwave may have claimed more than 800 lives in the UK alone, though official death figures across Europe are still being collected and analysed.
Christopher Callahan, a climate scientist focusing on the economic and social impacts of climate change, has highlighted the fatal effects of such weather.
BBC weather presenter Stav Danaos said: "The highest temperatures are expected in southern England and while maybe not as intense as the record-breaking heatwave in June, it may last a lot longer. Currently many forecasting models show that the hot spell could persist into the middle of July."
