The Met Office has identified 98 areas across the UK that will experience high humidity overnight on Thursday, intensifying the ongoing heatwave. The warning highlights that nighttime temperatures will remain uncomfortably high, preventing homes and buildings from cooling down.
Record-Breaking Heatwave Conditions
Britain is currently enduring a heatwave with record-breaking temperatures and red alert warnings in place. Forecasters note that this heatwave feels more intense than previous ones due to higher humidity levels. The red alert covers large parts of England, indicating that overnight temperatures are unlikely to fall below the high teens Celsius, with some areas not dropping below the low 20s Celsius.
High humidity accompanies these elevated temperatures, making conditions feel even more oppressive. Met Office forecaster Aiden McGivern explained on the Met Office YouTube channel that the overnight impact is significant. "It's not just the daytime temperatures to be concerned about," he said. "It's those overnight temperatures, meaning that overnight buildings and homes won't get a chance to cool down. Likewise, we won't be able to cool down so much because of the high humidities."
Heat Index and Cumulative Effects
McGivern emphasized that the focus extends beyond the thermometer reading. "It's the heat index that we're most concerned about. It's that level of heat and humidity combined that can cause so many severe impacts." He added that the day-by-day cumulative effects of heat cause buildings to retain warmth, exacerbating discomfort.
The heatwave is attributed to a "heat dome" settling over western Europe, bringing extreme conditions across the continent and the UK. Temperatures have soared this week, with the Met Office warning that the combination of heat and humidity poses serious health risks.
Full List of Areas Affected Overnight Thursday
The Met Office has released a comprehensive list of 98 areas facing high humidity and elevated overnight temperatures on Thursday. The areas are grouped by region as follows:
East Midlands
- Derby
- Derbyshire
- Leicester
- Leicestershire
- Lincolnshire
- Northamptonshire
- Nottingham
- Nottinghamshire
- Rutland
East of England
- Bedford
- Cambridgeshire
- Central Bedfordshire
- Essex
- Hertfordshire
- Luton
- Norfolk
- Peterborough
- Southend-on-Sea
- Suffolk
- Thurrock
London & South East England
- Bracknell Forest
- Brighton and Hove
- Buckinghamshire
- East Sussex
- Greater London
- Hampshire
- Isle of Wight
- Kent
- Medway
- Milton Keynes
- Oxfordshire
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Slough
- Southampton
- Surrey
- West Berkshire
- West Sussex
- Windsor and Maidenhead
- Wokingham
North West England
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Blackpool
- Cheshire East
- Cheshire West and Chester
- Greater Manchester
- Halton
- Lancashire
- Merseyside
- Warrington
South West England
- Bath and North East Somerset
- Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole
- Bristol
- Cornwall
- Devon
- Dorset
- Gloucestershire
- North Somerset
- Plymouth
- Somerset
- South Gloucestershire
- Swindon
- Torbay
- Wiltshire
Wales
- Blaenau Gwent
- Bridgend
- Caerphilly
- Cardiff
- Carmarthenshire
- Ceredigion
- Conwy
- Denbighshire
- Flintshire
- Gwynedd
- Isle of Anglesey
- Merthyr Tydfil
- Monmouthshire
- Neath Port Talbot
- Newport
- Pembrokeshire
- Powys
- Rhondda Cynon Taf
- Swansea
- Torfaen
- Vale of Glamorgan
- Wrexham
West Midlands
- Herefordshire
- Shropshire
- Staffordshire
- Stoke-on-Trent
- Telford and Wrekin
- Warwickshire
- West Midlands Conurbation
- Worcestershire
Yorkshire & Humber
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- North Lincolnshire
- North Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- West Yorkshire
The Met Office continues to urge caution, advising people to stay hydrated, avoid strenuous activity during peak heat, and check on vulnerable individuals. The high humidity and warm nights are expected to persist, with the heatwave likely to continue into the weekend.
