UK weather: health warnings issued as Britain braces for heatwave

Times

2 days ago

Health alerts have come into force as the UK's fourth official heatwave of the summer begins, with temperatures hitting 34C.
Parts of the country will be hotter than Jamaica, Cape Verde and Bali this week. Temperatures will be highest in southern areas, including Berkshire, Oxfordshire and the outskirts of London.
On Tuesday, a temperature of 34C was recorded at Lakenheath Royal Air Force Base, Suffolk.
The UK Health Security Agency issued amber heat health warnings for all areas of England, meaning that a rise in deaths, increased pressure on health services and disruption to travel are likely. Amber warnings are in place for the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, London and the southeast until Wednesday.
Yellow warnings, which apply to vulnerable groups such as those aged 65 or over and people with health conditions, are in place for the rest of the country. They also warn of additional strains on health and social care services.
Bob Ward, policy and communications director at the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, said: 'We expect hundreds of vulnerable people across the country, particularly in central England, to die as a result of the high temperatures over the next 24 hours, and millions of pounds will be lost as productivity is reduced in overheating workplaces.'
Last summer the UK Health Security Agency recorded 1,311 deaths during four heatwaves.
The sweltering weather will continue on Wednesday, bringing 33-34C heat to eastern England, including Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire and East Anglia. It should cool a little by Thursday, with highs of 29-30C expected in London and East Anglia.
Monday's highest temperature was 31.9C at Heathrow. Seasonal averages are generally between 18-22C in the UK, and go up to 23C for London.
Tom Crabtree, the Met Office's deputy chief meteorologist, said: 'Warmth is the focus in the forecast in the first half of this week, with temperatures likely to peak on Tuesday around the mid-30s, but remaining above average in the second half of the week, particularly further to the southeast.
'The exception to the widely warm conditions will be northwest Scotland on Monday, where showers will be more frequent. Warmth will develop there from Tuesday with temperatures peaking in the mid-to-high 20s.'
At London Zoo, a Humboldt penguin cools off
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/AP
And a lion cub named Mali enjoys a lolly of frozen blood
KIRSTY WIGGLESWORTH/AP
The Met Office defines a heatwave as temperatures meeting or exceeding a certain threshold for three consecutive days or more. This is 25C for most of the UK, but rises to 28C in London and its surrounding area.
Wales may have its hottest day of the year on Tuesday but temperatures are not expected to break 2025 records in other parts of the UK. England's high for this year is 35.8C, recorded in Faversham, Kent, on July 1.
The prolonged hot weather has caused the leaves of poplar and birch trees to turn brown. 'This isn't the sign of an early autumn' said Kathryn Brown, director of climate change and evidence at the Wildlife Trusts. 'It is the result of a hot and dry spring and summer. These conditions can seriously weaken trees longer-term.'
The hot weather will add to drought concerns as officials warned that England was suffering from 'nationally significant' water shortfalls despite rain in July.
The national drought group, which includes the Met Office, regulators, government, water companies and other organisations, met on Tuesday. Five areas of the country remain in drought and six more have prolonged dry weather status.
In England the lack of water has hit crop yields, reduced feed for livestock, damaged wetlands and river wildlife and has increased wildfires, the group said.
In 2023, the cost of farm fires in the UK increased by 37 per cent to an estimated £110.3 million, according to the National Farmers' Union (NFU) Mutual's latest data.
The national drought group called on the public to use less water. The River Wye and the Ely Ouse fell to their lowest recorded levels last month and nearly half of rivers fell to lower levels than normal.
Low water levels in canals mean boaters are facing restrictions on movement between Leeds and Liverpool, Macclesfield, and Oxford.
Five areas of the country remain in drought: Yorkshire; Cumbria and Lancashire; Greater Manchester; Merseyside and Cheshire; the East Midlands; and the West Midlands. Only the South East and South West have received normal levels of rainfall.
Back in Brighton, many people were able to find less crowded spots from which to enjoy the sun and sea
ALEX LENTATI/LNP
DINENDRA HARIA/LNP
DAVID MCHUGH/BRIGHTON PICTURES
Rachel Hallos, vice-president of the NFU, said: 'Some farms are reporting significant drop in yields which is financially devastating for the farm business and could have impacts for the UK's overall harvest.
'Minimal grass growth means many livestock farmers are already tapping into winter feed stocks, raising the risk of higher production costs later in the year.'
Households have heeded water companies' petitions to use less water, with Severn Trent recording a 20 per cent drop in usage in the past month. In Yorkshire, where a hosepipe ban has been in place since last month, Yorkshire Water customers have reduced their usage by 10 per cent, saving 80 million litres a day.