Another heatwave is on the way across parts of the UK, with peak temperatures of 34C forecast, according to the Met Office. A week-long heat health warning from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) came into force at midday on 4 July, covering most regions of England until 8pm on 11 July. The warning states that high temperatures could cause a greater risk to life for vulnerable people.
Temperature Forecast
Temperatures in the south of England could reach 28C on Saturday, the Met Office said. On Sunday, the south-east is forecast to rise to 29C, then approach the low 30Cs next week, peaking at 34C on Thursday or Friday. Though it is a prolonged spell of hot weather, it will not be as hot and humid as last month's heatwave, the forecaster added.
Health Alerts and Impacts
The UKHSA issued yellow heat health alerts in England covering the east, East Midlands, West Midlands, south-west, London and the south-east. The agency said high temperatures are likely to have minor impacts on health and social care services, including increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and a greater risk to life for the same group. It also warned of an increase in water-related incidents due to cold water shock and drowning.
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 28C in London. Elsewhere, it’s not as hot, with 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.”
Regional Variations and Comparison
Mitchell added: “The peak of the heat appears to be Thursday or Friday: 34C in the south-east. 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.” There are no heat health warnings in place for Wales.
This new alert follows a heatwave last week during which the Met Office issued a rare red warning for extreme heat for parts of the country, and the UKHSA put red heat health alerts in place. It was the first time since extreme heat warnings were established in 2021 that a red warning was issued for three consecutive days in the UK. Records dating back several decades were challenged or exceeded during that three-day alert.
Hosepipe Ban and Climate Context
Southern Water has issued a hosepipe ban from 12.01am on 10 July in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight. The ban stops customers using a hosepipe for non-essential activities, including watering gardens, filling paddling pools, hot tubs, swimming pools, ponds or fountains, and washing cars, patios or windows.
The UK set a provisional June temperature record of 37.7C in Lingwood, Norfolk, according to the Met Office, beating the previous June record of 35.6C from 1976 by more than 2C. The frequency and intensity of heatwaves has increased worldwide, and Met Office projections indicate that hot spells will become more frequent in the UK's future climate, particularly in the south-east. Temperatures are projected to rise in all seasons, with the heat most intense in summer.
