Britain to be hotter than Hawaii as runners brave 30C heat and families soak up summer holiday sunshine

Daily Mail​

a day ago

Britain is set to be hotter than Hawaii with temperatures soaring to 30C today as a sweltering heatwave continues to grip the country.
Runners have been braving the scorching heat while families are packing out parks and local tourist attractions as they soak up the sunshine during the summer holidays.
It comes as Britain is on track for its sunniest year yet - despite failing to break the 40.3C record set in Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022.
Parts of England will swelter through temperatures of up to 30C later, making it hotter than Hawaii where there are highs of 29C.
Almost 1,200 hours of sunshine was recorded by the Met Office in July - more sun than in any of the past 20 years. There have also been 79 days where temperatures have exceeded 20C - the most recorded for this time of the year.
In London today, highs of 30C are predicted, while Cardiff will only be slightly cooler at 29C.
Further north, Belfast and Edinburgh are expected to be a little milder, with temperatures reaching 22C and 24C respectively.
Similar temperatures are expected in Manchester, which will hit a top of 24C, and Newcastle which will reach 22C.
The Met Office forecast patchy cloud across the north with scattered showers in parts of eastern Scotland.
Despite this, temperatures will remain warm, particularly across England and Wales.
As the heat concentrates across southern and southwestern England, temperatures will climb to 30C in Salisbury and 29C in Cambridge, while central areas like Nottingham are also expected to see highs of 28C.
It comes as firefighters travelled across the UK to help tackle the major wildfire at Holt Heath, Dorset, fuelling calls for increased firefighting resources.
Ben Selby, Fire Brigades Union assistant general secretary said services had undergone '14 years of austerity'.
'The loss of 1 in 5 firefighter posts to cuts, with fire engines taken off the run and fire stations closed up and down the country, means that there is no resilience left,' he said.
'Wildfires are intensive incidents, requiring a large number of firefighters and specialist resources. They are becoming increasingly severe and frequent as a result of the climate emergency.'
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue estimated the blaze had burned through 72ha and would remain on the scene overnight.
People swim at London Fields Lido outdoor swimming pool during a warm day in London
'Crews are still working in three sectors dealing with an increase in flare-ups, hotspots and deep-seated fires identified using drones,' the statement read.
'This is due to the weather conditions.'
Crews travelled from Merseyside, South Wales, Greater Manchester, Leicestershire, Surrey, Lincolnshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Avon, Essex and Kent among others, to assist local emergency services.
Heat health alerts were extended into next week for much of England.
Officials have said the country is suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls.
The national drought group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies and other organisations, has met as five areas of the country remain in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status.
The UK Health Security Agency said yellow warnings will remain in place for Yorkshire and Humber, the East and West Midlands, London and the South East, South West and east of England until 6pm on August 18.
The weekend should be dry and sunny for most parts of the UK, with the mercury forecast to hover around 30C on Saturday and 29C on Sunday in south-west England.