Latest news with #GrahameMadge
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Mapped: Where will temperatures soar in UK during fourth heatwave of the year?
The UK may be set for its fourth heatwave next week after temperatures are predicted to soar from Sunday. Temperatures are expected to peak in the high twenties across the south of England, according to the Met Office, with London marking 28C on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It is set to remain warm in other parts of the country, with Manchester clocking temperatures of 27C on Tuesday and 25C on Wednesday. Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesperson, said that while exact temperatures weren't set in stone - and could hit the mid-thirties - many areas would enjoy a 'hot spell' during the week. 'I think we could be seeing parts of the UK have another heatwave by the middle of next week,' he said. A heatwave is identified when a location records across at least three consecutive days maximum temperatures exceeding a designated value, according to the Met Office. For most of the UK, this is 25C, but rises to 28C in London and the surrounding areas where temperatures are typically higher. 'The general pattern is that we'll see temperatures start to increase from Sunday and the duration of the heat is likely to last until Tuesday, possibly Wednesday,' said Mr Madge. 'We're likely to see temperatures get to high 20s across quite a lot of the UK, and in the south we're likely to see the possibility of temperatures reaching mid-30s degrees centigrade across parts of central, southern and eastern England, with the likelihood that the heat will probably last longest in places like East Anglia, up through Lincolnshire and into Yorkshire.' A yellow heat health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) across parts of the country from 12pm on Monday until 6pm on Wednesday. The warning covers Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, London, the South East and South West. Health bosses have warned of 'significant impacts' across health and social care services as temperatures rocket. The hottest day of the year so far saw 34.7C recorded at St James's Park in central London on 1 July. As it gets hotter once again, Britain could see its fourth heatwave after one in June and two in July. It comes as Brits have said they feel unprepared for hot weather, with only half saying they would comply with hosepipe bans if they came into action, dropping to 35 per cent of 16- to 34-year-olds, according to new Ipsos polling of a sample of 1,075 adults across the country. Nearly half - 48 per cent - of the public are either not at all or only somewhat prepared to adjust their work or daily routines as scorching temperatures become more frequent. Meanwhile, 62 per cent say they think climate change has had some influence on the recent heatwaves and droughts in the country. However, 16 per cent think recent heatwaves and droughts are mainly caused by natural weather cycles, including a third (34 per cent) of Reform UK voters. Commenting on the findings, Rachel Brisley, head of energy and environment at Ipsos, said: 'Our research suggests that the majority of the British public don't consider themselves to be prepared to adapt their lifestyles to heatwaves and this includes an unwillingness, by almost half of those surveyed, to comply with hosepipe bans. This seems to be particularly true for younger generations. 'In general, the public considers that climate change has had at least some influence on the recent heatwaves and droughts that are becoming a more frequent part of our lives. Reform UK voters, however, remain sceptical about the human impact on extreme weather events.'


The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Mapped: Where will temperatures soar in UK during fourth heatwave of the year?
The UK may be set for its fourth heatwave next week after temperatures are predicted to soar from Sunday. Temperatures are expected to peak in the high twenties across the south of England, according to the Met Office, with London marking 28C on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It is set to remain warm in other parts of the country, with Manchester clocking temperatures of 27C on Tuesday and 25C on Wednesday. Grahame Madge, a Met Office spokesperson, said that while exact temperatures weren't set in stone - and could hit the mid-thirties - many areas would enjoy a 'hot spell' during the week. 'I think we could be seeing parts of the UK have another heatwave by the middle of next week,' he said. A heatwave is identified when a location records across at least three consecutive days maximum temperatures exceeding a designated value, according to the Met Office. For most of the UK, this is 25C, but rises to 28C in London and the surrounding areas where temperatures are typically higher. 'The general pattern is that we'll see temperatures start to increase from Sunday and the duration of the heat is likely to last until Tuesday, possibly Wednesday,' said Mr Madge. 'We're likely to see temperatures get to high 20s across quite a lot of the UK, and in the south we're likely to see the possibility of temperatures reaching mid-30s degrees centigrade across parts of central, southern and eastern England, with the likelihood that the heat will probably last longest in places like East Anglia, up through Lincolnshire and into Yorkshire.' A yellow heat health alert has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) across parts of the country from 12pm on Monday until 6pm on Wednesday. The warning covers Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, London, the South East and South West. Health bosses have warned of 'significant impacts' across health and social care services as temperatures rocket. The hottest day of the year so far saw 34.7C recorded at St James's Park in central London on 1 July. As it gets hotter once again, Britain could see its fourth heatwave after one in June and two in July. It comes as Brits have said they feel unprepared for hot weather, with only half saying they would comply with hosepipe bans if they came into action, dropping to 35 per cent of 16- to 34-year-olds, according to new Ipsos polling of a sample of 1,075 adults across the country. Nearly half - 48 per cent - of the public are either not at all or only somewhat prepared to adjust their work or daily routines as scorching temperatures become more frequent. Meanwhile, 62 per cent say they think climate change has had some influence on the recent heatwaves and droughts in the country. However, 16 per cent think recent heatwaves and droughts are mainly caused by natural weather cycles, including a third (34 per cent) of Reform UK voters. Commenting on the findings, Rachel Brisley, head of energy and environment at Ipsos, said: 'Our research suggests that the majority of the British public don't consider themselves to be prepared to adapt their lifestyles to heatwaves and this includes an unwillingness, by almost half of those surveyed, to comply with hosepipe bans. This seems to be particularly true for younger generations. 'In general, the public considers that climate change has had at least some influence on the recent heatwaves and droughts that are becoming a more frequent part of our lives. Reform UK voters, however, remain sceptical about the human impact on extreme weather events.'


The Independent
3 days ago
- Climate
- The Independent
New heatwave possible with yellow health alert issued for parts of England
A yellow heat health alert has been issued across much of England for the start of next week with forecasters warning of another heatwave. Temperatures could reach the mid-30s across central, southern and eastern areas of the country by Wednesday, the Met Office said. The health warning, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), covers London, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, East of England, the South East and South West, and will be in place from 12pm on Monday until 6pm on Wednesday. Significant impacts across health and social care services may occur over the period due to the high temperatures, the agency said. This includes the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. Grahame Madge, spokesman for the Met Office, said: 'The general pattern is that we'll see temperatures start to increase from Sunday and the duration of the heat is likely to last until Tuesday, possibly Wednesday. 'We're likely to see temperatures get to high 20s across quite a lot of the UK, and in the south we're likely to see the possibility of temperatures reaching mid-30s degrees centigrade across parts of central, southern and eastern England, with the likelihood that the heat will probably last longest in places like East Anglia, up through Lincolnshire and into Yorkshire.' Exact temperatures cannot yet be identified but parts of the UK will be enjoying a 'hot spell' during the week, Mr Madge said. The hottest day of the year so far saw 34.7C recorded at St James's Park in central London on July 1. The heatwave threshold is met when a location records at least three consecutive days with maximum temperatures exceeding a designated value, according to the Met Office. This is 25C for most of the UK, but rises to 28C in London and its surrounding area, where temperatures are typically higher. 'I think we we could be seeing parts of the UK have another heatwave by the middle of next week,' Mr Madge said. 'I'd be surprised if areas didn't make it on the duration and temperature value, but some places might reach those thresholds for a day or two before the temperatures come back down.' He added the forecast becomes less clear beyond the middle of the week. The latest warning comes after the UK has already experienced three heatwaves this summer. A combination of amber and yellow heat health warnings were issued across England in June and July when temperatures exceeded 30C in several parts of the country. Several water companies were forced to issue hosepipe bans for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools as part of efforts to protect supplies in the face of dry and hot weather.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Is this week's UK heatwave linked to climate change?
As the UK prepares for a heatwave this week, there is a 50/50 chance of a day where temperatures reach 40C within the next 12 years, the Met Office has predicted. It said the prospect of exceeding that figure is now more than 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s, as a result of climate change. The UK had its first recorded temperature above that threshold on 19 July 2022, when it was 40.3C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire — the hottest day in British history. And while temperatures will not get that high this week, the Met Office has said a heatwave is likely in many parts of England, with a maximum of 33C forecast in the east on Sunday. Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge told Yahoo News that warm air driven from southern Europe later this week will make it very warm in the UK. 'This week the UK will experience rising temperatures," he said. "Later in the week, a weather pattern develops which will encourage a flow of air from further south in Europe to bring much warmer conditions to the UK, with values expected to reach 32C on Saturday.' The Met Office said much of the UK will reach the threshold for a heatwave either on Friday or Saturday. To qualify as a heatwave, there must be three continuous days of temperatures at a certain level, which varies by area in the UK. Madge said: 'A heatwave is a period of three days or more where the maximum temperature reaches or exceeds a specific threshold. 'This threshold is 25C for northern and western parts of the UK, rising to 28C for Greater London and parts of the Home Counties.' The Met Office predicted that the UK is likely to experience a hotter than usual summer in its most recent three-month outlook, after this year's spring was the sunniest and among the driest and warmest on record. Four of the five warmest summers on record for England have occurred since 2003, while all of the top 10 warmest years according to mean temperature have occurred since the year 2000, with five in the most recent decade up to 2024. Records extending back to 1890 show that the mean temperature (the average of the maximum and minimum temperature across every weather station through the year) has risen from just over 7.5C in 1890 to more than 9.5C today. Climate change, caused by greenhouse gas emissions, has made heatwaves 30 times more likely in the UK, the Met Office has said. Over time, this will make UK winters warmer and wetter, while summers will become hotter and drier, although wetter summers will be seen sometimes. By the year 2050, heatwaves similar to the one seen in 2018 will happen every other year. Met Office scientist Emily Carlisle said earlier this month: "The UK's climate continues to change. "The data clearly shows that recent decades have been warmer, sunnier, and often drier than the 20th century average, although natural variation will continue to play a role in the UK's weather.' In its study on 40C temperatures, published in Weather Journal on Wednesday, the Met Office warned that even higher temperatures of 45C or more "may be possible' in today's climate, while heatwaves could go on for a month or more. The study said the chance of temperatures hitting 40C is more than 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s, and has almost trebled since the year 2000. Temperatures several degrees higher than the July 2022 record – up to a maximum of 46.6C – are also 'plausible'. Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office and lead author of the study, said: 'Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising. We estimate a 50/50 chance of seeing a 40C day again in the next 12 years. 'We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today's climate.' The Met Office predicts that by the year 2070, summers will be between 1C and 6C warmer and up to 60% drier, and winters will also be up to 4.5C warmer and up to 30% wetter.


The Independent
17-06-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Hay fever warning issued as UK enjoys warm weather
Hay fever sufferers are being warned of high pollen levels during a heatwave, with temperatures expected to reach 30 degrees in the south of England and London. London and the south of England will experience temperatures around 30 degrees on Thursday, with 27-28 degrees for most of the week, while Manchester and Newcastle are forecast to hit 27 degrees on Friday. High pollen counts are expected across the UK, with "very high" levels in the south east and Midlands early in the week, spreading to the south west, Wales, and the north of England later. The Met Office reports that temperatures between 18 and 28 degrees, combined with dry conditions, low humidity, and a gentle breeze, can lead to high grass pollen counts, but pollen levels may decrease above 28 degrees. Met Office spokesperson Grahame Madge anticipates temperatures could reach 32 degrees by Saturday in the south of England, with settled conditions due to high pressure from the Azores.