The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow heat health alert for London as the capital prepares for its fifth heatwave of the year. The alert is in place from 10am on August 2 until 10am on Thursday, August 5.
Enduring sunshine is set to dominate the week, with temperatures on most days hovering in the mid to late twenties and no sign of cloudy weather. Sunday will turn relatively hot in the southeast, with temperatures close to 30C in the London area, according to meteorologist Tom Moran. The hottest day will be Monday, August 3, when the Met Office predicts highs of 32C.
Moran said: "For England and Wales, it's another dry start to the day, so plenty of sunshine through the first day of August here, generally a bit of fair weather cloud bubbling up. But for most, long periods of sunshine." He added that the weather would become increasingly unsettled from Monday: "There is an increasingly unsettled flavour to the weather on Monday and Tuesday... there will be probably be some hit or miss showers across England and Wales, so for gardeners and farmers there may well be some respite from the drought conditions in the south but we're not looking at anything widespread or particularly significant in terms of rainfall."
Tuesday may bring some occasional drizzle, but temperatures will remain strong, reaching around 28C.
Driest July on record
The warning follows the driest July on record for England and Wales. The Met Office described the month as an "exceptional combination of extreme heat, abundant sunshine and an almost complete absence of rainfall". Provisional statistics show only 5.6mm of rainfall was recorded in England during July – less than half of the previous record of 13.4mm set in 1911.
Drought and wildfire
Half of England and the whole of Wales are now officially in drought, as successive heatwaves put pressure on water resources. Firefighters have spent days tackling a blaze at Dunwich Heath, near Leiston, Suffolk, which began at 5.30pm on Wednesday.
On Friday evening, Suffolk County Council said crews remained at the scene and that "good progress is continuing". The wildfire is a few miles from Sizewell B nuclear power station and the construction site for the new Sizewell C power station.
