UK weather: Hot weather to peak amid water shortage fears
The group said England is experiencing widespread environmental and agricultural effects from the shortage of water, which is hitting crop yields, reducing feed for livestock, damaging river wildlife and wetlands, as well as increasing wildfires.
As high pressure has pushed eastwards, the UK has been drawing in some very warm air on a southerly to south easterly wind from the European continent, where temperatures have been particularly high.On Monday, Bergerac and Bordeaux in France set all-time records at 41.4C and 41.6C. There are red warnings for the heat in France and in Spain.
How do heat health alerts work?What should you look for when choosing sunscreen?What are UV levels and how can you protect yourself?
The amber heat health alert – issued by the UK Health Security Agency – begins across the Midlands, East Anglia, London and South East England at 09:00 and continues until 18:00 on Wednesday.North East England, North West England, Yorkshire and Humber and south-west England have a yellow alert for the same period. Yellow alerts warn of possible impacts on health and social services.Temperatures across Scotland and Northern Ireland could reach 23-26C, maybe 27C in eastern Scotland and the Borders.Much of England and Wales could see 25-28C, but the low 30s are again likely for central and southern England, and south-east Wales. Anywhere from the south-west Midlands to west London could see 34C.This would still not make it the warmest day of the year so far, although the year's top temperature in Wales may be threatened.
Highest temperatures of 2025England - 35.8C Faversham, 1JulyWales - 33.1C Cardiff Bute Park, 12 JulyScotland - 32.2C Aviemore, 12 JulyNorthern Ireland - 30C Magilligan, 12 July
Some could see a fourth heatwave of the summer this week, the official criteria for which is when locations reach a particular threshold temperature for at least three consecutive days. That varies from 25C across the north and west of the UK, to 28C in parts of eastern England.Conditions will stay warm for a third day for most areas on Wednesday, though temperatures could dip a little in the west. There will be more cloud and it will feel more humid. There will be a slight shift in wind direction to more of a south-westerly meaning the highest temperatures could be across parts of East Anglia, again in the low 30s.The heat will ease for most on Thursday with some thunderstorms and some cooler, less humid air into Friday. However, as high pressure builds in once more it is likely temperatures will rise again into the weekend to the mid-to-high 20s, with 30C possible in southern England and south Wales.
This year saw the warmest and sunniest spring on record across the UK. June and July saw the second and fifth highest average temperatures for those months respectively.There have been 13 days so far this year that have seen temperatures of 30C or more in the UK this year. That number will rise further this week, but is still low compared with the 19 days above 30C in 2022 and 34 days in 1995.Rainfall for August has been very variable. Despite it only being 11 days into the month, some parts of northern Scotland are not far from recording their average August rainfall already, while some parts of southern England, such as Heathrow and Kew Gardens, have yet to record any measurable rain.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
33 minutes ago
- Telegraph
BBC fails to predict heavy rain during heatwave
The BBC failed to predict heavy rain across the south of England on Wednesday – having forecast heatwave temperatures. BBC Weather, the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) were wrong-footed by sudden downpours. They had told the public to expect sunshine and temperatures of up to 34C, with the UKHSA issuing an amber heat health alert on Tuesday that warned of potential deaths. But heavy downpours instead erupted across an area ranging from Hampshire to Suffolk between 2pm and 5pm. The unexpected rainfall prompted anger from the public towards the forecasters and the UKHSA. Oliver Brett, a consultant, told BBC Weather: 'You guys are embarrassingly bad at your jobs. Quite significant rain in north London and thunder too, but your weather app has nothing but yellow suns and 0 per cent rain.' Gavin Attridge, a journalist, added: 'Many thanks to all involved for the inaccurate weather forecasts for today. No chance of rain – in fact, thunderstorms and heavy rain in London. I'm wearing suede shoes with leather soles and no umbrella.' Richard Tice, the Reform UK MP, told The Telegraph : 'BBC Weather has become like BBC Verify... I have renamed them BBC Guesswork.' BBC Weather had forecast clear skies and temperatures of 26C in London, while the Met Office predicted 29C and sunshine. The Met Office had issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in Scotland and Northern Ireland on Wednesday and Thursday – but not in the south of England. The UKHSA had also warned that high temperatures could 'result in serious health outcomes across the population' and that the public should take 'sensible precautions while enjoying the sun'. Counteracting 'weather disinformation' Its amber heat health alert – which covered the West Midlands, East Midlands, South East, London and the East of England – was issued on Tuesday and due to last until 6pm on Wednesday. On Tuesday, temperatures reached 33.4C, with the highest readings recorded in Benson, Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and west London. BBC Weather and the Met Office are joining forces to counter 'weather disinformation' and provide 'weather education' to combat conspiracy theories and other false information. Last year, the BBC Weather app wrongly predicted 15,000mph winds across the UK, with the error blamed on a data problem with the US meteorological service, DTN. In 2023, the app forecast temperatures of just 7C in late June after it was hit by a technical glitch.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Moor fire near North Yorkshire RAF base declared major incident
A moorland fire near an RAF base in North Yorkshire has been declared a major incident. Crews were first called to Langdale Moor after reports of smoke on Monday and found the blaze had jumped a firebreak. An overnight watch took place but by Tuesday morning, the fire covered 300 x 300m, growing to 1km x 1km by the afternoon. Water bowsers, six fire engines and all-terrain vehicles were being used to fight the fire - near RAF Fylingdales - early on Wednesday. North Yorkshire Fire Service said the blaze had shrunk overnight, but by 12.30pm it had spread to cover 5sq km and was declared a major incident. Pictures posted on Facebook by Bedale fire station showed the fire burning overnight, while drone footage filmed on Tuesday showed huge flames and vast clouds of smoke. More resources are now being sent to the scene in an effort to bring it under control. The hot, dry weather in the UK has made such fires more likely and a fire on heathland in Dorset was also declared a major incident at the weekend. Crews were still on site at Holt Heath today, dealing with hotspots and occasional flare-ups sparked by wind. However, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service said "good progress" was being made across all four sectors of the incident. Wildfires causing havoc in Europe European nations have been dealing with much more destructive fires this summer in what is becoming a growing problem - especially in the south of the continent. At least 1,400 firefighters were deployed in France's southern Aude region last week to try to stop the country's biggest wildfire in decades from reigniting. 0:48 About 7,700 residents were also evacuated yesterday from near the Greek city of Patras, west of Athens. People were also ordered to move as fires spread on the popular holiday islands of Chios and Kefalonia. In Spain, a 35-year-old volunteer firefighter died from burns after trying to build firebreaks near the town of Nogarejas. He is the sixth person to die in wildfires in the country this year. Other serious fires have also broken out this summer in Turkey and Albania, where authorities said 10,000 personnel were battling 24 wildfires.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
British holidaymakers warned not to drive in France as roads ‘could melt'
British holidaymakers in France have been warned not to drive at the hottest times of the day as temperatures soar. Bison Fute, the French government's road information service, stated that ' extreme heat ' meant people should avoid driving during 'the hottest hours of the day between 12pm and 4pm'. France is experiencing a harsher summer than the UK, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40C on Wednesday. Bison Fute also urged motorists to deploy sun visors across their rear window and rear side windows to reduce the interior temperature of vehicles. It warned: 'Do not leave anyone in the vehicle when it is stopped to avoid sunstroke and dehydration.' Tony Rich, the head of media for AA roadside operations, said the French authorities were concerned about road surfaces deteriorating in the heat, and people becoming stranded if they break down. 'Brutal' dangers of car breaking down He said: 'Extreme heat can lead to roads melting – they begin to soften at around 50C. However, even a sunny day with 20C can be enough to generate enough heat that the asphalt absorbs it and then builds up during the day, with the hottest period between noon and 5pm. 'Officials in France will also be worried about car occupants being stranded on the road. A short trip that might not be considered dangerous could become brutal if a vehicle ends up at the roadside and the driver and occupants have not taken adequate precautions against the heat, such as extra water, headgear, sunscreen and other protection.' Melting roads is a phenomenon that is unusual in the UK but relatively common on the continent. During the July Tour de France road cycle race three years ago, organisers poured 10,000 litres (2,600 gallons) of water on the race course to keep the surface cool. Pierre-Yves Thouault, the race's deputy director told Le Parisien magazine that organisers had 'identified areas which, end to end, would be between 150 and 200 meters of what we call sweating zones where, because of the heat, the tar melts and creates slippery streaks on the road'. Most roads will not begin to soften until they hit a temperature of around 50C, the Road Surface Treatment Association confirmed. 'With temperatures regularly reaching the high 20Cs, the bitumen in some road surfaces may soften and rise to the top,' the organisation explained. 'This makes the road surface sticky and more susceptible to pressure loads from heavy vehicles, resulting in surface ridging and rutting.' British Tarmac rules were changed in 1995 after a heatwave to ensure that our roads are less susceptible to melting in the sun. Under that rule change, the recipe for the Tarmac mix was changed to include polymer binding agents that raise the melting point to around 80C. In July residents of Cannock, Staffordshire, complained that bits of a melting road were sticking to their cars' tyres and causing damage. 'You're ripping up great big chunks out of the road and when you put the car onto the drive, it's literally bringing all the tar onto the drives and it's just spreading all over them,' Marc Edwards, a local resident, told ITV News.
