The Met Office has extended a rare amber weather warning for extreme heat, covering 47 areas across seven regions of England, as temperatures could soar to 38C today (Thursday, 13 August). The alert is in place from 9am until midnight.
Hottest Day of the Year Possible
Today could become the hottest day of the year so far as the fifth heatwave of the summer peaks. It follows July being officially declared the driest on record, leading to drought across much of southern England and Wales.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham chaired a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee on Wednesday (12 August) in response to the prolonged spell of exceptionally dry weather.
Forecaster Warns of Infrastructure Impacts
Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill said: "Temperatures (in areas covered by the amber warning) could reach highs of around 36, 37, possibly 38C. Now when you get these sorts of high temperatures, well that’s when we could see impacts to our infrastructure, our railway lines, our roads, they are not designed for this sort of heat."
"More people are likely to be impacted by how hot it is with regards to their health," he added. "It could be the hottest day of the year so far if we get above 38C, and if we get above 38.5C, well it could be the hottest August day on record, but that’s actually pretty unlikely."
Affected Regions and Health Risks
The warning covers the East Midlands, East of England, London and South East England, North West England, South West England, West Midlands, and Yorkshire & Humber. Specific local authorities include Derby, Leicester, Nottingham, Bedford, Cambridge, Essex, Hertfordshire, Greater London, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Cheshire East, Greater Manchester, Gloucestershire, Swindon, Wiltshire, Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, North Lincolnshire, and South Yorkshire, among others.
The Met Office warns that adverse health effects like heat exhaustion or other heat-related illnesses are likely to be experienced by those vulnerable to extreme heat. Some delays to road, rail and air travel are also possible, with potential for welfare issues for those who experience prolonged delays.
The Prime Minister said that there has been a "significant number of excess deaths from heat this summer already" and urged the public to follow health advice, including checking in on elderly friends and relatives. Two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.
