UK heatwave: Temperatures to soar to 34C today
Much of the UK is set to get even hotter today as temperatures could soar to a sweltering 34C with an amber health alert extended across England. Forecasters issued the alert which will cover London, the East Midlands, the South East, the South West and the East of England, and is set to remain in place until 6pm today. The Met Office say a rare amber alert is only deployed when they think there is a 'potential risk to life and property' and today's marks the second time it has been issued in two weeks.
Commuters this morning faced a sweaty journey in to work - with London Tube lines closing because of the heat. Meanwhile the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also activated a five-day alert due to concerns that there could be 'a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions'. Parts of England basked in temperatures hotter than the Caribbean yesterday as a deadly heatwave was sweeping across Europe. Flaming June lived up to its fiery reputation as London sweltered in 33.1C (91.58F) – with even places in the North-East managing to reach 30C (86F).
While hydration rather than strawberries and cream was most in demand among tennis spectators at Wimbledon, others took to more traditional methods of coping with the weather by packing the beaches at the resorts such as Bournemouth and Brighton. Temperatures in SW19 were yesterday so hot that an elderly member of the crowd on Centre Court fainted during Carlos Alcaraz 's first-round tussle with Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard was leading 3-0 in the decider when he alerted the umpire to an incident in the stands before he brought the stricken spectator a cold bottle of water from the bucket behind his seat. But, the heatwave is expected to come to an end tomorrow - with temperatures looking to drastically cool. It was the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history with the heat reaching 33C, surpassing the previous record of 29.3C in 2001.
Greg Dewhurst, a meteorologist at the Met Office, told MailOnline that the hottest temperatures would hit the southeast of England today, particularly in London. And a map issued by the forecasters shows that they expect temperatures could hit a sizzling 35C. If reached, London would today be hotter than Lisbon, Barcelona, Hawaii, Mexico City and Barbados. But Mr Dewhurst added that those in the north could see spells of rain, saying: 'There will be cloudier skies further north with showery rain across northern England in particular. Temperatures lower the further north you are in the country, with highs around 15 to 19C in Scotland, which is around average.' The record temperature for England was recorded on July 19, 2022, when Coningsby, Lincolnshire, saw an astonishing 40.3C reached.
Yesterday's heat of 33C almost broke the hottest ever June temperatures of 35.6C recorded in Southampton in 1976. The hottest ever July 1 on record was in 2015, when the temperature hit 36.7C. And today's warnings come as Europe continues to be blasted by record temperature highs with a deadly 'heat dome' scorching the continent . Spain recorded its hottest June day on record at the weekend, with 46C recorded in El Granado, in the Andalucían province of Huelva. The highest temperature previously recorded for June was 45.2C logged in Seville in 1965. Spain's state meteorological agency said the latest heatwave would likely persist.
A new record high for June was also recorded in Mora in Portugal on Sunday at 46.6C (116F), according to the national meteorological agency. Seven regions in central and southern Portugal, including Lisbon, were placed on red alert for the second day running on Monday, with fire warnings in many forest areas. Authorities advised people 'not to go out' during the hottest hours, reporting heat strokes and burns as the heatwave took hold. Across the UK, sunseekers yesterday descended on beaches to try and cool off from the soaring temperatures. Both Brighton and Bournemouth beaches experienced congestion levels that are significantly higher than normal. Thousands of Wimbledon spectators pitched tents outside the All England Club on Sunday night in a bid to secure tickets, but the tropical temperatures proved too much for some who were forced to abandon their spot in the queue yesterday 'until it was cooler'.
Some fans were forced to abandon the queue the for Centre Court because of the heat, saying they had to come back when it was cooler. Fans flocked to SW19 as Emma Raducanu led the biggest contingent of British tennis stars to storm Wimbledon in over 40 years. It is a bumper year for Britons with an army of 23 players taking over – the most to get through since 1984. One group of six best friends who jetted in from the US joined the Wimbledon queue at 7am yesterday after flying eight-and-a-half hours to the UK. Lydia told MailOnline: 'We've flew from Florida yesterday, some of us are from New Jersey and Texas as well. We can't wait for the games and we are rooting for Coco Gauff.' Jennie added: 'We're want to attended for the next three days so we will be queuing up every day. We're from Florida, so the heat is fine for us, but we were not expecting this in England. We have our umbrellas for shade and plenty booze and card games. We've already had three bottles of bubbly so far this morning!'
George Sandhu, Deputy Superintendent at Well Pharmacy, is urging elderly and vulnerable Brits to consider staying in the shade or indoors during the hottest hours of the day. He said: 'While many people will be out enjoying the warm weather, elderly and vulnerable Brits who are at greater risk because they can have less control over their exposure to the sun. Overexposure to the sun can lead to people becoming seriously unwell through overheating, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.' Elsewhere in the UK, footage from Highland and Moray, in the Scottish Highlands, showed wildfires and smoke obscuring the landscape as fire crews battle blaze that has been burning since Saturday morning. The blazes, which have been whipped up by strong winds and dry weather, have stretched several miles in places - and even sparked warnings for communities as far away as Forres and Elgin to keep windows shut.
Tennis fans were given a shock yesterday morning after being told to stay away from Wimbledon as it is already 'at capacity'. Earl's Court tube station, a popular changeover point en route to Wimbledon, was packed with tennis fans who had flown in from all over the world. But an announcement over the PA system quickly put a dampener on the excitement after it was revealed the grounds were already 'at capacity' before 9am. Those who had opted for a slightly later lie-in faced disappointment then when they were told that non-ticket holders risk not getting in, or at best 'several hours' waiting in the queue with temperatures soaring for the rest of the day. An update from Wimbledon's official website on Monday read: 'Please be aware that the Queue for Day 1 - Monday 30th June - is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the Grounds today.'
On Sunday, firefighters mobilised in several European nations to tackle blazes as southern Europeans sought shelter from punishing temperatures of a heatwave that is set to intensify in the coming days. Fires broke out in France and Turkey Sunday, with other countries already on alert. Authorities from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France urged people to seek shelter and protect the most vulnerable from the summer's first major heatwave. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. In Turkey, forest fires broke out Sunday afternoon in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds, local media reported. In France, meanwhile, wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.
The country's weather service Meteo France put a record 84 out of its 101 regional departments on an orange heatwave alert - the second-highest - for Monday. Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44C Sunday and issued a special warning amid the heatwave. Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, were under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert over the weekend for extreme heat and forest fires - as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. 'We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted,' said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a 'muggy, miserable' Verona.
Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. 'We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' he said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Bologna has set up seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70. In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until tonight, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere.
In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity. 'With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests,' said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds. 'We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated,' he said. It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. An amber alert was previously issued for all regions in England on June 19, the first time it had been used since September 2023. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said: 'London is already facing its second heatwave of the year and we know that people will be looking forward to getting outside to enjoy the wonderful weather.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
32 minutes ago
- BBC News
Heatwave continues across Kent, Sussex and Surrey
The South East continues to experience scorching weather on Tuesday, with temperatures ranging from 23C in some coastal areas to 32C further could become the hottest day of the year so far, topping the 33.2C recorded in Charlwood in Surrey on 21 UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) extended amber heat health alerts for much of England into Wednesday morning. Services like the NHS and public transport continue to be are set to drop from Wednesday with the amber heat health alert in place for the South East due to end at 09:00 BST. Images sent in from across the region, from Deal on the Kent coast to Felpham near Bognor Regis, showcase the effects of days of the hot weather.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
The Med is now too hot for summer holidays
Most of us like a bit of sunshine on our holidays, but when does hot become 'too hot'? If ambulances are on standby at resorts, air-con fuelled 'climate shelters' are being set up and the elderly are being advised to stay indoors, you could argue that the answer is: now. A heatwave has hit large swathes of Europe including France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In Spain, a June temperature record of 46C was set on Saturday afternoon in El Granado, Andalucia, while France has issued a heat warning in 84 of the country's 96 mainland departments. As a 'heat dome' envelops much of the Continent, the mercury has hit 42C in Seville, with Athens (37C), Rome (38C), Madrid (37C), Bordeaux (39C) and Lisbon (38C) also set to experience exceptionally high temperatures this week. Even Germany is bracing for 40C temperatures by the middle of the week. London, by comparison, is forecast to peak at a comparatively balmy 33C. 'Extreme heat is no longer a rare event – it has become the new normal,' said António Guterres, the secretary general of the United Nations, at a development conference in Seville on Monday. So how long will tourists continue to tolerate such extreme weather patterns? Global temperatures are rising, year on year Globally, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with average temperatures exceeding 1.5C above pre-industrial levels for the first time. Last year was also Europe's warmest since records began. Southeastern Europe, in particular, was affected by record-breaking heat and drought conditions. If you went on holiday to Greece, Turkey or Croatia, there's a strong chance that you would have endured tropical nights and heat stress days: of the 97 days of summer, 43 were heatwave days. Things are only expected to get hotter. The World Health Organisation says: 'Heatwaves and prolonged excess heat conditions are increasing in frequency, duration, intensity and magnitude due to climate change.' If rainfall patterns between 1973 and 2002 continue, by 2050 some parts of southern Spain could shift to a steppe or even desert-like climate, according to a report by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia. Heatwaves are particularly intense in cities due to the 'urban heat island' effect, where temperatures are amplified amongst tightly packed buildings. The gradual disappearance of green space in cities has also contributed to this effect. Although high inner-city temperature readings, often shared on social media, are generally higher than the true temperature, given that their sensors are often exposed to direct sunlight with scorching road surfaces just below. Tourists suffer a 'false sense of security' There are around half a million heat-related deaths every year, a number far greater than the average number of people who die in wars or due to terrorism. Those at greatest risk include the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions, as well as people who work outdoors who cannot avoid heat stress. But tourists are also in the high-risk category. Last week, a holidaymaker died of heatstroke on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The 34-year-old Dutch man was hiking with friends near Soller when he collapsed. Last year, Dr Michael Mosley died aged 67 after going missing on the Greek island of Symi in high temperatures. His cause of death came back as 'indeterminate' but a coroner said it was most likely attributable to either heatstroke (accidental) or a non-identified pathological cause. In a 2023 study by the University of Roehampton, researchers found that the human body stops functioning optimally when outside temperatures exceed 40C. Participants were exposed to different temperature conditions at varying air humidities. At 40C at 25 per cent humidity, the metabolic rate (at which the body expends energy) increased by 35 per cent. In effect, this means the body has to work very hard to stay cool. Deeply ingrained behavioural factors won't be helping Britons abroad. Dr Stephen Wood of Northeastern University in Massachusetts tells The Telegraph: 'Tourists are especially vulnerable to heat stroke and related illnesses for a few key reasons. Travel often involves a lot of walking and sightseeing, frequently in the hottest parts of the day, without sufficient hydration or rest. 'They may also wear clothing that isn't ideal for the climate or skip sun protection altogether. Plus, tourists might not recognise the early signs of heat illness, or they may ignore them in the excitement of exploring a new place. All of this adds up to increased risk, especially in hot, humid destinations or during heat waves,' Dr Wood adds. Locals, on the other hand, are more likely to take sensible precautions. Bex Colwell, who lives in the part of Sicily that recorded Europe's highest ever temperature in 2022 (48.8C), told The Telegraph this week: 'Locals are shutting themselves away in dark houses during the days, with windows and shutters closed.' Behavioural considerations aside, people from northern Europe are inherently at greater risk of heat-related illnesses. 'People living in warm climates tend to acclimatise and not increase their body temperature and in turn their metabolic rate as much,' said Dr John Higgins of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) in an interview with Medical News Today. 'Likewise, people living in cool-freezing temperatures may get more of a response to heat exposure as they are not acclimatised to the heat as much. 'Body temperature and metabolic rate are integral components of this delicate dance, and for those who are resident in hotter climates year-round, it may be more likely for such countervailing feedback loops to be active and functioning,' Dr Higgins added. The solution? Norway, or autumn Some southern Europeans appear to be actively seeking cooler climates to swerve the summer heatwaves. The Scandinavian airline SAS says bookings from southern Europe to Norway have surged, with arrivals from Spain, Italy and France to Stavanger up 38 per cent year-on-year. In southern Norway, Kristiansand has seen a 52 per cent jump. 'For many, Scandinavia's cool climate is no longer a disadvantage,' said Thomas Thessen, chief analyst at SAS, in an interview with Norwegian newspaper VG. 'In fact, it's become a key reason to book a trip.' Poland's Baltic Coast has also experienced a spike in international visitors as temperatures rise in southern Europe. Along its Baltic Coast, branded hotels reported occupancy of 69.2 in 2024, up from 66.9 per cent in 2023. Others are pivoting away from the summer season entirely. Justin Francis of Responsible Travel told The Telegraph: 'In the past three years, we've seen an 86 per cent increase in enquiries for autumn holidays, a response to the shifting climate and fears of extreme weather.' Looking at broad booking patterns, however, most British holidaymakers haven't yet been put off from booking summers in the Med. In 2024 (following 2023's hottest ever year on the Continent), the UK ranked as the number one source market for tourism to Spain and in the top three for France, Greece, Turkey and Portugal. Proving, at least for now, that 'too hot for the human body to function properly', has not yet translated into 'too hot for a holiday.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
The heatwave hacks that could prove DEADLY: Experts urge Brits not to attempt to create 'DIY AC units' by attaching frozen towels to their fans
Britain is in the midst of an intense heatwave - with parts of the country set to experience record-breaking temperatures of up to 36°C today. To cope with the heat, many desperate Brits are getting creative with their fans. Thousands of videos have been posted on TikTok advising on how to adapt your basic fan to create a 'DIY AC unit'. While you might be tempted to try one of these heatwave hacks, experts have warned that some could prove deadly. The hacks to avoid are those that involve water or ice, according to Electrical Safety First. 'Water and electricity don't mix,' said Luke Osborne, technical director at Electrical Safety First. 'Anything that is frozen will eventually melt and will potentially drench your fan in water. 'This water risks not only coming into contact with the motor but any surrounding plug sockets and will really increase the risk of an electric shock.' @ao Try this fan hack to keep your home cool! 🧊 #heatwave #fan #summer ♬ original sound - AO Lets Go One of the most popular heatwave hacks on TikTok sees users attach frozen bottles of water to the back of their fan. While this initially helps to circulate cooler air around the room, it could end in disaster, according to Mr Osborne. 'This mindless "hack" is not only dangerous but ineffective too,' he explained. 'The frozen bottles of water will inevitably melt, creating condensation on the outside of the bottle. 'This will create water droplets that risk coming into contact with the motor of the fan, increasing your risk of electric shock. 'You're also adding weight to your fan that it's not designed to handle, which may put unnecessary stress on your fans motor and risk damaging your device. 'Whilst you may find you get a few seconds of relief, this hack is pointless in that it won't supply enough cold air to reduce the temperature across a room.' Other users have opted to place frozen towels over the tops of their fan in a bid to produce colder air. What's behind the UK heatwave? The UK is on the edge of a 'heat dome' over continental Europe which has pushed temperatures to extreme highs in Spain, Italy and Greece. Dr Akshay Deoras, from the University of Reading, says this is 'bringing stable, mostly cloudless weather and drawing in hot, dry air from the south'. Scientists also claim that climate change - caused by human activity such as burning fossil fuels - is making heatwaves more frequent and intense. 'Much like other ineffective hacks, a frozen towel won't offer enough energy to cool down a room,' Mr Osborne added. Meanwhile, a bowl of ice in front of your fan is also a bad idea. 'Whilst we would not recommend this hack, it offers a far lower level of risk of electric shock as the ice is nowhere near the electrical components of the fan,' Mr Osborne added. 'Even if you do try this hack, you'll likely remain hot, as a bowl of ice won't offer enough relief to continuously cool a room. 'Make sure the ice is sufficiently far enough away from the fan to avoid the device coming into contact with moisture if it's knocked over.' If you're struggling to cope in the heat, thankfully Electrical Safety First has also given their advice on safe heatwave hacks that do work. Firstly, the company advises opening windows on opposite sides of your house to create a cross wind. Next, keep your curtains and blinds closed during the day. 'Your first thought might be to open the windows, but in doing so, you'll only let the hot air inside,' Electrical Safety First said. 'Ensuring your room remains shaded can help to keep inside temperatures down. 'Consider the orientation of your building. An easterly facing room will heat up in the morning, whilst a westerly facing room will do so in the afternoon, so shade or ventilate accordingly.' Finally, when temperatures in the evening have dropped, open the windows back up. 'This will allow for the cool air to enter your home,' the experts added.
