The Met Office has issued an extreme weather warning for Sunday as temperatures climbed to 32C on Monday, with the rare amber alert covering much of England and Wales. Northolt in west London recorded the highest temperature, reaching 32C, while Heathrow Airport saw 31.8C, just shy of the UK's hottest day this year of 32.7C on 17 June.
The extreme heat warning, only issued twice before, prompts advice to stay indoors and drink plenty of fluids. Level three heat-health alerts, issued jointly by the UK Health Security Agency and the Met Office, are in place across the south, the Midlands and eastern parts of England, and are expected to remain until next weekend. Dr Agostinho Sousa from the UKHSA urged people to stay hydrated and find shade during the strongest afternoon rays, with the elderly and those with underlying conditions particularly at risk.
The heatwave has also led to a suspected drowning in West Yorkshire, where a teenager died after getting into trouble in a canal near Wakefield. Train services were disrupted in south London after a fire on tracks at Battersea Bridge, believed to be caused by a stray spark, and in the West Midlands due to speed restrictions on hot tracks.
Heatwaves are becoming more likely and more extreme due to climate change, with the highest UK temperature recorded at 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019. The current heatwave, part of a European pattern with hot air from Africa, is expected to bring temperatures of 38C in Madrid and 47C in Seville on Monday, and potentially over 40C in France, Germany and Italy over the coming weekend.
