The UK could see its hottest day of the year so far, as parts of England may hit 38C during the peak of the fifth heatwave of the summer. Rare amber “extreme heat” warnings have been issued by the Met Office for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday.
Forecast and warnings
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. And 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.” The highest temperature of the year was 38C recorded at Lingwood in Norfolk on June 28.
Wildfire risks
The prolonged hot and dry weather continues to heighten risks of wildfires, with firefighters still battling the blaze in New Forest and a new blaze at Saddleworth erupting overnight.
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