UK weather latest: Britons braced for hottest day of the year - with chance record could be broken
By Christopher England, Sky News meteorologist
It's been getting steadily warmer this week, with successive days each bringing the UK's highest temperature of the year to date - 24.5C at London's St James's Park on Monday, 24.9C at Ross-on-Wye and Trawsgoed on Tuesday, and 26.7C at Wisley yesterday.
The constituent nations recorded their individual maximum yesterday as well, with 26.7C at Wisley in England, 25.8C at Trawsgoed in Wales, 24.4C at Aboyne in Scotland, and 24.1C at Castlederg and Derrylin in Northern Ireland.
It looks like today will be warmer still, with 29C quite likely in the South East.
There's a small chance that 30C could be reached somewhere in that region. This would be the earliest in the calendar year that temperatures have been that high on record (the previous earliest date was 12 May 1945).
May temperatures have only exceeded 30C eight times since records began, mostly near the end of the month.
Although very warm, it's unlikely that official heatwave criteria will be met, while temperatures will decline over the weekend, as an increasingly northerly flow sets in.
That will likely lead to widely below average temperatures on Bank Holiday Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
Storm Floris latest: Winds up to 124mph hit UK - as 32,000 homes without power and plane filmed struggling to land
We're pausing our live coverage That's all from us. Storm Floris has been and mostly gone, with some disruption expected tomorrow. Keep scrolling down to catch up on how the storm unfolded today, or check our 22:00 post for a quick recap. In the meantime, we'll share any other developments on the Sky News website and app. Rail disruption likely tomorrow as work continues to clear routes Tomorrow may be free of weather warnings in almost every part of the UK - see our 18:55 post - but there will be a hangover from today's disruption on the rails. Passengers have been warned as such, with Network Rail working "tirelessly" to clear routes blocked by falling trees and debris. But Network Rail Scotland's route director said this work will continue into tomorrow. "As the storm passes later this evening, our focus switches to inspecting routes which have been closed by fallen trees, debris and other damage," he said. "Our teams will work through the night, but this work will continue into Tuesday morning. "We'll use two helicopters to assist engineers on the ground. We're grateful to passengers for their patience whilst we do this." 10pm recap - what you need to know in five bullet points as Storm Floris passes It's 10pm, and two weather warnings in place for the northern half of the UK are set to expire in minutes. If you're just checking in, or you simply want a quick recap of today's storm, here's a summary in five bullet points: An amber warning for wind - which indicates a risk to life and injury - is in place for another hour for most of Scotland, while a less severe yellow warning covers northern England until midnight; Rail, road and ferry travel have been disrupted and Edinburgh Fringe events cancelled; More than 30,000 people were without power earlier, with dozens of flights grounded and one particularly bumpy landing caught on camera; Police received "multiple reports" of campervans blown over on the A87 between Broadford and Portree on Skye, while in Aberdeenshire the A96 was closed in both directions near Old Rayne because of fallen trees; The storm will cling onto Orkney and Shetland Isles until tomorrow morning, and showers will remain throughout the rest of Scotland. Wind speeds topped 80mph at low-level Scottish site, data shows The Met Office has just released the latest top speeds recorded during today's storm. It's worth noting the overall top speed - the gust we reported at 17:55 - was clocked at a high elevation, going at 124mph. But the top speed at a low-level site (which are most commonly reported by the Met Office) stands at 82mph - which is provisionally an August record for Scotland. The speeds listed below were all clocked at low-level sites in Scotland, which better reflect the kind of conditions people faced during the storm: Wick - 82mph South Uist Range - 79mph Kinloss - 79mph Tain Range - 78mph Inverbervie - 77mph Tiree - 75mph Brighter day ahead tomorrow with risk of scattered showers Almost all of the UK is free of weather warnings tomorrow - see our 18:55 post. That means things are looking brighter, but there are still rain clouds ahead. Highs of 23C are forecast in the southeast, but keep an eye on the top left of the graphic below to see how showers could develop... Seven tips to cope with a power cut - and prepare for the next one Today's stormed cut power to thousands, with many still without supply. Below, the Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks offer some tips on what to do when the lights go out, and how to be better prepared for any repeats: Turn off appliances and lights, but leave one switched on so you know when power is back; If you know your power will be switched off in advance, boil some water and keep it in a thermos flask; Try to avoid opening the freezer unless absolutely necessary, as it helps food stay frozen for longer. Food will keep for about eight hours without power, but make sure to check it when your electricity is restored; Get hold of a torch and keep extra batteries; Try to set up a plug-in phone, and charge your mobile ahead of the storm; Save important numbers on your mobile, or write them on a piece of paper; Make sure you have a battery-powered radio, and tune into your local station. Watch: Edinburgh Fringe visitors disappointed after cancelled shows "We're a little disappointed our show got cancelled for tonight," David, who was visiting Edinburgh, told us. He was one of many who had travelled to the city for the events. Jane flew up with her husband to see the Tattoo for his 60th birthday - see our 7.24 post for more on its cancellation. But the pair will be flying back home tomorrow morning... Cows take advantage after fence 'blown over' By Jenness Mitchell, Scotland reporter Escaped cows were spotted on the loose in North Lanarkshire earlier. Darren Young recorded this herd running down Carfin's Elder Way/Taylor Avenue. Young shared footage of the incident online, adding: "For anyone out and about in Carfin, looks like a couple of fences have been blown down and the cows are out in force." Warnings still in place - here's the latest While the worst of the storm has passed over much of the UK, warnings remain in place for the northern half of the country. An amber warning for wind covers almost all of Scotland until 11pm tonight, according to the Met Office. This means there is potential danger to life and the risk of injuries, particularly in coastal areas. A yellow warning for wind will expire at midnight, stretching from Manchester, Liverpool and north Wales up to the northern reaches of Scotland. This includes Northern Ireland. Tomorrow, a yellow warning for wind is in place until 8am over the Shetland Islands and Orkney. Hundreds still have no power in Ireland Around 2,700 homes, farms and businesses remain without power in the Republic of Ireland. ESB Networks said its crews will keep working into the night to restore supply. More than 10,000 homes were without power earlier today, with Co Donegal and Co Roscommon among the worst-affected areas.
Sky News
2 days ago
- Sky News
UK weather: Amber heat health alert issued for large parts of England
An amber heat health alert has been issued for large parts of England. A yellow weather alert has been issued for the rest of the country. The alerts, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), are due to be in place from 9am on Tuesday, until 6pm on Wednesday. The amber alert - described as an "enhanced hot weather response" - covers East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East. The UKHSA warns significant impacts are "likely" across health and social care services due to the high temperatures. The yellow alert covers the North East, North West, Yorkshire, The Humber, and the South West. Sky News meteorologist Christopher England said the high pressure that brought the warmth of the last few days via the "heat dome" effect is moving east, as low pressure moves in towards the west. "Southern Britain can expect temperatures widely into the low 30s then, perhaps exceeding 35C (95F) in places," Mr England said. "There's around a 10% chance Wales may exceed its August peak temperature of 35.2C recorded at Hawarden on 2 August 1990." Please refresh the page for the latest version.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Sky News
UK weather: Hottest day of heatwave revealed - with 10% chance temperatures will hit 35C
A yellow heat health alert is in place from midday for most of England, with temperatures expected to peak in the mid-30s tomorrow. Parts of the country are facing a fourth heatwave of the summer, where highs pass a threshold on three consecutive days. Check the weather forecast where you are 2:17 Sky News meteorologist Christopher England said the high pressure that brought the warmth of the last few days via the "heat dome" effect is moving east, as low pressure moves in towards the west. This will bring even warmer air up from the near continent, making it hotter for most over the next few days. "Southern Britain can expect temperatures widely into the low 30s then, perhaps exceeding 35C (95F) in places," Mr England said. "There's around a 10% chance Wales may exceed its august peak temperature of 35.2C recorded at Hawarden on 2 August 1990." He also predicts "some very muggy nights" in the South, with temperatures quite widely holding above 20C (68F) in towns and cities, known as "tropical nights". A yellow health alert is in place from 12pm on Monday through to Wednesday evening for most of England - covering all regions except for the North West and North East. The warning issued by the UK Health Security Agency means it expects heat-related issues such as an increase in deaths of over-65s, a higher demand on health services and an increased risk of overheating for vulnerable people. 2:11 The Met Office's criteria for a heatwave are met when temperatures are above a certain level for three consecutive days. This threshold varies from 25C to 28C (77F to 82F) depending on location. Meteorologist Tom Morgan said there would be a "North-South split in the weather" today. He said it would be "quite cloudy across Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England, the rain tending to come and go, but most persistent in western Scotland". The remnants of ex-tropical storm Dexter has headed towards the UK from the Atlantic. This could bring the potential of rain and thunderstorms tonight and into tomorrow.
