18 hours ago
UK faces second 30C day before heatwave peaks on Monday
Sweltering conditions will persist in parts of England for the second consecutive day, with an a mber heat health alert still in effect.
Forecasters say the mercury could surge to 30C in London, while parts of the Midlands and eastern England are expected to see highs of 28C.
But not everyone will feel the heat – Scotland is likely to top out at a milder 21C, and the south-west of England may see peaks of 23C, the Met Office said.
Sunday will see a band of cloud and rain across central parts of the UK, gradually edging northwards.
This rain may ease for a time before turning heavier in the far northwest later in the day, the forecaster added.
Southern areas will start cloudy with some patchy drizzle on western hills, but there will be plenty of dry weather too, with sunny spells developing.
Temperatures could reach 34C on Monday, which, if it did, would only be the fourth time in June since the 1930s.
The June record, which could be surpassed, stands at 35.6C, recorded at Southampton Mayflower Park on June 28 1976 and again at Camden Square, north London, on June 29 1957.
Tuesday will hold the heat, and a maximum temperature of 34C is possible, before it will become cooler towards the mid-20s in the middle of next week, the forecaster added.
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
It comes as an amber heat health alert, covering London, the East Midlands, South East, South West and East of England, is in place until 6pm on Tuesday.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also issued a yellow alert for Yorkshire and Humber and the West Midlands for the same time period, with the agency warning of significant impacts across health and social care services.
Meanwhile, continental Europe is on high alert it faces its first major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to climb as high as 42C.
Aemet, Spain 's national weather agency, issued a special warning, forecasting highs of up to 42C in the country's southern regions in the coming days.
In neighbouring Portugal, around two-thirds of the country will be placed under high alert on Sunday due to extreme temperatures and the risk of wildfires. Lisbon could see highs of 42C.
In Italy, where cities such as Naples and Palermo are bracing for 39C heat, the regions of Sicily and Liguria have introduced bans on outdoor work during the hottest parts of the day.
