NI weather: Met Office warning for heat and thunderstorms
Heat to continue into weekend
While most places are expected to avoid thunderstorms altogether, where they do occur there could be some disruption.A few spots could see between 20-40mm of rain in less than an hour, with the additional hazard of hail and lightning.Thursday is expected to see temperatures drop by a few degrees, to around 19C on the coast and 22C inland.Those temperatures will nudge a degree or two higher before climbing again to around the mid-twenties on Saturday and Sunday.In the Republic of Ireland a warning for thunder has been issued across Kerry, Clare, and Limerick on Wednesday.The alert lasts from 15:00 (local time) until 21:00 with a risk of flooding, travel disruption, and lightning damage.
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The Independent
14 minutes ago
- The Independent
Why this latest European heatwave is so different – and more worrying
Europe is burning. This week, we have seen heatwaves across southern Europe, sparking blazes from Portugal to the Balkans. Spain broke its hottest temperature record on 28 June, and on Wednesday, the country was battling its 10th consecutive day of extreme heat. With the heatwave expected to last until Monday, it is set to become one of the longest the country has ever experienced. We have seen the biggest wildfires in France since 1949, with an area around the size of Paris burning in a very short period. Fires have raged on the outskirts of Naples and are currently out of control in Greece, which has requested EU water bombers to aid nearly 5,000 firefighters tackling more than 20 blazes. The combination of drought, heatwaves, and wildfires has become common in 2025. We are now in a period of 'compound hazards', when two or more climate events affect each other. For example, landslides caused by fires followed by intense rainfall or flooding – these are multiple extreme environmental occurrences happening either at the same time or one after the other. I have researched heatwaves for six years and helped develop parts of early warning systems for heat. We can often tell three months in advance if a specific summer season is particularly at risk of heatwaves, as was the case this year. We could see it in above-average temperature charts and sea surface pressure patterns, which allowed us to predict this summer's heat with high confidence very early on. It is more difficult to forecast droughts and rainfall; in these cases, we make use of teleconnections – links with weather patterns found in other parts of the world, such as El Nino – to look at how this might influence the weather in Europe. The broad definition of a heatwave is three or more days of above-average temperatures during a region's warm season; local countries have different variations on this. Heatwaves in Europe are caused by blocking high-pressure systems (settled areas of air that act similarly to an oven). We know that with the climate crisis, the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves are increasing, and the area exposed is greater. We saw five heatwaves in the summer of 2022, when temperatures in the UK hit a record 40.3C. The heatwave currently affecting central Europe and parts of the UK is interesting because it is the result of an ex-tropical storm, Dexter, interacting with high pressure over Europe, which is causing it to move up over parts of the UK. This has meant that we experienced rainfall in the middle of this heatwave, something we also saw during the August 2003 heatwave. It's a trend we need to be alert for in the future, because the indication is that summer storms, as well as heatwaves, could be a problem. We have yet to focus research on this and need to more work on these interactions. Until recently, as a country, Britain would get excited about a coming heatwave; paddling pools would be hastily pulled out of sheds, and barbecues and beach trips arranged. But as heatwaves have become more common, they have become more of a concern. People struggle to sleep and heat extremes slow down workers, reduce working hours, and cut output, especially in outdoor sectors such as construction, transport, and tourism. They can also wear down transport systems, strain power grids, and worsen air quality. We are also realising how heatwaves are silent killers. They cause deaths every time they occur, and it is estimated that up to 2,000 people may have died in the July 2025 heatwave across Europe. They also cause a rise in hospitalisations and ambulance service callouts. In London, during the July heatwave, the ambulance service received more than 7,000 calls, increasing pressure on an already struggling health system. Heatwaves pose significant risks for all ages, from the elderly to the very young. I have led research on the impact of heat on maternal, newborn, and children's health, which shows evidence of an increased risk of preterm birth with heat exposure. There is also a rise in accidental deaths and drowning during heatwaves, as young people rush to rivers and the seaside. It is really important for everyone to keep cool – not just vulnerable people. Heatwaves affect our environment in interesting ways too – both on land and at sea. We've seen an influx of non-typical species in British waters, such as European sardines, anchovies, pilchards, and even some octopuses, with traditional species such as Atlantic herring and European sprat migrating further north. On land, freshwater ecology is affected, as is the capacity of rivers to act as coolers for cities during heatwaves. During low flows caused by drought, a river's ability to cool is reduced, as shown in a study of the River Don in Sheffield. This year's heatwaves are already having an impact on crop yields. One crop particularly susceptible to the heat is broccoli, which prefers a maximum growing temperature of 23C – hence there will be smaller heads of broccoli, and possibly shortages. Other crops affected include wheat, barley, and potatoes. Price rises often follow heatwaves, as was the case with bread in the UK after a number of European heatwaves, because of the impact on cereal crops. The pattern of when and where people holiday is already starting to shift, and it is likely that holiday habits will continue to change. While some may opt for a more temperate UK climate, it will be important to support communities whose livelihoods depend on tourism – and these communities are often the same ones that are affected by wildfires. Tourists may now opt for a spring or autumn break in Greece, instead of visiting in high summer. How we work will change the number of breaks a person needs, and safe environments need to be considered. Urban planning will be affected, too. More trees are being planted in many cities as a source of shade, and investment in cooling strategies for urban areas is urgently needed. In France, a row is brewing over the excessive use of air-conditioning systems, dubbed by some 'an environmental aberration', but there are innovative approaches, such as using the River Seine to cool Paris, or misting fans in Novi Sad, Serbia. Looking to the future, we will need to work together across sectors and policy, which can be challenging when people are accustomed to working in silos. We didn't act to mitigate the emissions driving climate change, so we now need to focus on adapting our lives to the changing conditions, while also reducing emissions. We need to assess the use of air-conditioning for the most vulnerable in places like schools and hospitals. On an individual level, we need to talk about climate change with family and friends, discuss the risks, and stay safe during heatwaves while conserving water during droughts. One surprising hack I've seen is the use of yoghurt on windows to keep a house cool during summer. Many of my friends and family also know to cool their hands and necks first if they are feeling too hot. The richest in society produce the most emissions, but we are seeing we're not immune to some of the impacts. My hope is that this will make the transition to net zero more urgent, and encourage us to work together to understand how our actions matter and how the severity of these events can be prevented from increasing in the future.
Glasgow Times
14 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Record humidity across the world in 2024 as experts warn of rising health risk
The latest 'State of the Climate' report published by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) found 2024 set new records for levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and the number of humid days. Climate change is driving the increased humidity, as a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. And when combined with rising temperatures – with 2024 recording record heat globally – the increase in hot, humid conditions is bringing more people into 'potentially life-threatening situations,' experts have warned. People find it harder to cool down in hot and humid conditions because sweating is less effective than in dry heat, and continued physical activity during high humid heat can lead to serious health issues, the experts warn. Dr Kate Willett of the Met Office, who is one of the report's editors, said: 'Human health can be seriously affected by high heat and humidity. 'Such a dramatic increase in the occurrence of these humid heat events is bringing more societies into challenging, potentially life-threatening, situations. 'Our report found that it's not just high temperatures that people are having to contend with, it's also humidity; with the frequency of high humid heat days at a record level, and intensity of those days at the second-highest level in the record, only fractionally cooler than 2023.' The State of the Climate report showed the amount of water in the atmosphere hit record levels over both land and ocean, with almost 90% of the atmosphere wetter than the 1991-2020 average. And the global average number of high humid heat days reached a record of 35.6 days more than normal in 2024, scientists said. The report also highlights last year was the hottest year on record globally, and the 10th consecutive year that was more than 1C above pre-industrial levels, while the last 10 years have been the hottest 10 years on record. In 2024, sea surface temperatures were at their highest in records dating back 171 years, and marine heatwaves were observed over more than nine tenths (91%) of the world's oceans. All 58 reference glaciers lost more ice than they gained in 2024, in only the second year this has happened, while Colombia's Conejeras glacier was declared extinct, and all of Venezuela's glaciers have officially disappeared. It was the wettest year for extreme rainfall on record, while there was also no let up in the increase in climate-warming pollution, with the main gases carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide all hitting new highs in the atmosphere, the study found. Professor Stephen Belcher, Met Office chief scientist, said: 'The changes to global climate highlighted in the BAMS State of the Climate report indicates the need for deep, rapid and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels in order to limit warming as much as possible, alongside scaled up adaptation action to protect societies and nature already exposed to impacts from record breaking extremes.'
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Brits travelling to Spain urged to take 'extreme precautions' on holiday
Spain has been hit by a heatwave with the mercury hitting 32C in Seville this week and highs of 35C in Madrid and 31C in Barcelona. The UK has also been issued a yellow heat health warning Holidaymakers heading to Spain have been urged to take "extreme precautions" as the country swelters under blistering heat that will leave Brits reeling. Temperatures have soared to 32C in Seville this week, with Madrid hitting highs of 35C and Barcelona reaching 31C. Summer in Spain always sounds like a great idea, but with the temperatures reaching the 35C mark, holidaymakers wishing to spend a couple of days in the hot peninsula might want to be careful. Spain's State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), equivalent to Britain's Met Office, warned: "The danger of wildfires continues at very high or extreme levels in most of Spain, despite the likelihood of showers in many areas. We are at the most critical moment of the season. Take extreme precautions." In other travel news, it comes after a warning to Brit tourists planning all-inclusive holidays to Spain. READ MORE: Beautiful seaside town in Devon that's so pretty it 'could be from a postcard' The country has issued a rare "red" emergency alert with the "maximum" threat facing UK tourists, reports Birmingham Live. AEMET posted on X: "11/08 11:36 Active warnings today and tomorrow in Spain for maximum temperatures, storms, rain, and suspended dust. Maximum warning level: red. This, combined with the high level of sunshine typical of summer, is causing temperatures to be higher than usual for this time of year, resulting in a heat wave." "[Today, Monday] temperatures are expected to rise further in the Ebro basin, the southern and eastern thirds of the Iberian Peninsula, and the eastern Cantabrian Sea. Temperatures will begin to fall in the northwest, most noticeably in Galicia." It continued: "Temperatures will therefore continue to reach 37-39C across the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, also extending to the Júcar and Segura regions and the interior of the Basque Country, where temperatures could even exceed 40C locally." "In the lower Guadalquivir, highs could reach over 42C, and although with low probability, this threshold could also be exceeded in the Ebro Valley and the northeastern depressions, where this day is expected to be the hottest of the episode." Meanwhile, a yellow heat health warning has been issued for the UK as most areas have seen the mercury soar past 30C. This is the fourth summer heatwave, with England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all experiencing blistering temperatures. A number of water companies were compelled to impose hosepipe bans for activities such as watering gardens, washing cars and filling paddling pools.
