The Met Office has issued an Amber Extreme Heat warning for Sunday, July 17, as temperatures look to build later this week for much of England and Wales.
The Met office points out that precautions to be taken during the extreme heat alert are not limited to those most vulnerable to the heat, but to the general public as well.
Temperatures could be in excess of 35C (95F) in the southeast, and more widely around 32C (89.6F) within the warning area. These high temperatures could extend into the early part of next week and an extension of the warning will be considered in the coming days.
It is feared the mercury could hit a record-breaking 43°C (109.4F), far surpassing the hottest day on record. This would beat the hottest day ever, which was seen in July 2019, when temperature dials surged to 38.7C (101.6F) in Cambridge Botanic Garden.
The Mail notes that the government’s advice is that 999 services should be used in emergencies only, and to seek advice from 111 if you need non-emergency health advice.
And it goes without saying that outdoor work practices and even daily routines may require some changes. Please keep hydrated, and the best liquid for that is water.
A persistent area of high pressure centered over the southern half of the UK is responsible for this week’s warm spell, bringing largely dry and clear weather for the week, with little cooling into the evenings. During the weekend, a developing southerly flow will allow very high temperatures currently building over the continent to spread northwards to the UK.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Rebekah Sherwin said: “Today and tomorrow (Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th), temperatures are likely to peak at 33C in the southeast, with warm weather likely to continue throughout this week and it looks likely to ramp up late this week and into early next week.”
Dr. Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “Heat-health alerts have now been issued to the majority of the country, with temperatures set to remain consistently high throughout the duration of this week.”
While extreme heat events can be attributed to natural variations in our global weather patterns, the increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of these events over recent decades is clearly linked to the observed warming of the planet and can be attributed to human activity.
