UK could hit 30 degrees Celsius at earliest recorded point in a year
The U.K. is set for its hottest day of the year so far on Thursday, and temperatures could hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) at the earliest recorded point in the calendar, forecasters said.
Following one of the warmest and driest Aprils on record, forecasters said the mercury will likely peak in London, before cooler weather starts to drift in from the north on Friday — bad timing for those looking to bask in the sunshine over the coming three-day weekend. Monday is a public holiday in the U.K.
Michael Silverstone, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, the U.K.'s national weather service, said it's possible temperatures on Thursday could hit 30C in southern England.
If so, he said it "will be the earliest date in May that the U.K. has seen 30 degrees since our records began in 1860.'
On Wednesday, the Met Office said temperatures reached 26.7 degrees in Wisley, just south of London, making it the warmest day of the year so far.
Authorities urged people to be cautious if choosing to go swimming as the water temperature in lakes and the sea remain low given the time of the year.
The London Fire Brigade has also urged caution around open-water swimming after a 32% increase in water-related incidents last month compared with the same period last year.
'Even when the sun is shining, water temperatures can be dangerously cold,' said Craig Carter, its assistant commissioner for prevention and protection. 'Cold water shock can affect anyone, no matter how fit or experienced they are.'
Police said Thursday that the body of a 16-year-old boy was found in a lake in Nottingham.
'While work is now under way to understand how the boy came into difficulty, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight this case as a reminder of the devastating consequences of entering open water, regardless of whether people do so deliberately or inadvertently," said Chief Inspector David Mather of Nottinghamshire Police.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
UK set for mini-heatwave as temperatures to soar to 29 degrees
Parts of the UK are set for a week of high temperatures and summer sun as an area of high pressure heads to Britain from the Azores. London and the south of England will see temperatures soar to around 29 degrees on Thursday (19 June). The mini-heatwave is expected to continue into the weekend, but a 'northwest to southeast split is likely to develop', according to the Met Office. In the north of England, temperatures will stay in the mid 20s, while Scotland will see highs of around 22 degrees. Jonathan Vautrey, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Many of us will be seeing fine and dry conditions overall, which is all courtesy of an area of high pressure that's going to be building in from the Azores and gradually stretching towards the UK.' He added: 'As we head into the new working week, it is northern and western Scotland that will start off the wettest. The heaviest of the rain first thing in the morning, it will tend to ease off throughout the day. 'For England and Wales there will be plentiful amounts of sunshine throughout Monday. A little bit of fair weather cloud bubbling up, quite hazy perhaps for some southern counties in England. Otherwise temperatures will be up by a good few degrees compared to today and we'll start to see highs around the mid-20s. 'From mid-week onwards is when we start to see that high pressure building in more confidently across the UK. The fine and settled conditions will begin to stretch to all of us, and the temperatures will continue to climb.' The Met Office outlook for next week from Tuesday to Thursday says: 'High pressure builds in, bringing drier, sunnier weather from the south. 'Temperatures near normal in the north, with very warm conditions returning again to the southeast. Windier in the north'. Wet and windy conditions are then expected in the northwest in the last week of June, with heavy rain at times. Things will be more settled in the southeast with the sun shining, weather forecasters predict.
Glasgow Times
5 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Glasgow to be almost as warm as popular Spanish holiday spot
The Met Office is predicting that temperatures will reach highs of 23 degrees later this week. According to the weather forecaster, Monday, June 16, will be cloudy with temperatures expected to reach highs of 19 degrees and lows of 13 degrees. READ MORE: Glaswegians pictured in the sun as 'taps aff' weather hits However, on Tuesday, June 17, the Met Office believes the sunshine will reemerge, with temperatures across the city hitting highs of 19 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday (June 18). After that, on Thursday, June 19, temperatures are set to rise to 22 degrees, while on Friday, June 20, they are expected to hit 23 degrees. Due to the high temperatures on Thursday and Friday, it will mean the city will be almost as warm as Ibiza in Spain. According to the Met Office, Ibiza will bask in the sunshine all week, with temperatures sitting at highs of 25 and 26 degrees. Regarding the weather in the Strathclyde area, which includes Glasgow, on Monday, the Met Office said: "Early sun in the south, otherwise cloudy with a little light rain or drizzle, though mostly dry. Brightening up a bit later, Warmer Maximum temperature 19 degrees." Meanwhile, for Tuesday to Thursday, they said: "Mainly dry with sunny spells on Tuesday after a cloudy start in the south, windy at first. "Dry and sunny on Wednesday and Thursday, warmer with lighter winds."
The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
E-bikes and e-scooters fire warning after record number of blazes and eight deaths
E-bike and e-scooter fires soared to a record high last year as fire experts warned of the 'incredible danger' posed by some of the increasingly popular vehicles. Firefighters were called to 211 incidents involving the devices last year, according to data from the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS). The figures are voluntary for fire authorities to report and show an incomplete picture across the country, but they illustrate a rise in call-outs, with 207 reported in 2023, and just 26 in 2020. Last year, the fires resulted in 86 casualties and eight deaths, and were almost all found to be linked to the battery or generator, prompting concerns over DIY-type e-bike conversions using kits purchased online. In August, eight-year-old Luke Abiston O'Donnell died from carbon monoxide poisoning after an e-bike being charged in the front room of his house in Merseyside caught fire. The blaze was sparked by the ignition of the bike's lithium-ion battery, an inquest found. Just before Christmas, a family's home in Catford, in London, was destroyed by a fire caused by a battery on a second-hand e-bike that exploded. The year before, as reported by The Independent, a father's wife and two children were killed in a fire started by a replacement lithium e-bike battery, bought on eBay, that had been left charging. A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade, which made up most of the incidents shared by the OPSS last year, said: 'E-bikes and e-scooters are a green and sustainable way to travel around our city. 'However, the stark reality is that some of these vehicles are proving to be incredibly dangerous and are at greater risk of malfunctioning, particularly if they've been modified, fitted or converted with second-hand products or if the batteries are used with the incorrect chargers.' Kits to convert bicycles into e-bikes can be purchased online for as little at £150, with the battery and charger obtained separately. But there are concerns over the safety of batteries and chargers bought online. Earlier this year, The Independent previously found a UPP (Unit Pack Power) branded e-bike battery, which was subject to a government withdrawal notice over fire risk, was being sold on Facebook Marketplace. Pressure has also been building on the government to tackle the issue, with Liberal Democrat MP Clive Jones recently urging ministers to ensure they are included in the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, aimed at tightening product safety on online marketplaces. Experts say High Street retailers have a greater liability for product safety than selling on online marketplace platforms. London Fire Brigade deputy assistant commissioner Richard Field told The Independent: 'At the moment, there is not the same level of regulation of products for e-bikes and e-scooters sold via online marketplaces or auction sites when compared to high street shops, so we cannot be confident that products meet the correct safety standard. 'The Product Regulation and Metrology Bill is a really welcome step in the drive to reduce the worrying risk of e-bike and e-scooter fires, ultimately by decreasing the chance of customers being exposed to buying unsafe products, such as lithium batteries, chargers and conversion kits which are dangerous and do not meet UK safety standards. But charity Electrical Safety First said greater legislation beyond the Bill was needed, including a mandatory requirement for third-party certification on the safety of devices sold online. It also wants new safety standards set for the devices. A spokesperson said: 'The growing number of fires linked to e-bike and e-scooter batteries occurring across the country - and the devastating consequences they bring - is a stark reminder of the need for new laws to tackle these blazes. 'These fires are often caused by converted or heavily modified e-bikes, or substandard batteries. Whilst we're encouraged the government has introduced the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill, which gives powers to tackle e-bike battery fires, it is vital that this legislation is robust enough to tackle this issue head-on.' An Amazon spokesperson said safety was a top priority and it had partnered with LFB to provide customers with tips on how to use and store e-bikes and e-scooters safely. 'We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations. We monitor for product safety concerns, and we go further by requiring sellers of e-mobility products to provide documented testing carried out by an accredited lab,' they added. A spokesperson for the Department for Business and Trade said a campaign - called Buy Safe, Be Safe - had been launched in response to the rise in lithium-ion battery fires. They said: 'We take the risk of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries very seriously, including those linked to e-bikes and e-scooters. 'We are also updating our product safety laws to help keep the public safe, as well as taking action at ports and borders to stop unsafe or non-compliant products from reaching consumers.'
