UK heatwave: health alert issued as highs of mid-30Cs forecast

By Tom Ambrose, The Guardian

Britain is expected to be hit by a heatwave over the weekend, with temperatures likely to reach the mid-30Cs by the middle of next week.

Much of the UK experienced sunshine on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 25C, and forecasters say the mercury could touch 35C by mid-July.

The warm spell is expected to continue through much of next week and the following weekend, especially in the south of England, and a level 2 heat health alert has been issued for southern and eastern areas.

“We’re at the start of a stretch of warm weather for much of England and Wales that could last for much of next week,” said the Met Office’s deputy chief meteorologist, David Oliver.

“In the short term, many can expect temperatures in the mid to high 20Cs over the weekend, and then in the low 30Cs during the start of next week. Much of next week will remain warm for the time of year as well as dry and sunny.”

The forecast prompted warnings to take extra precautions. Matthew Killick, the director of crisis response and community resilience at the British Red Cross, said: “We’re all looking forward to enjoying some warm weather this summer, but it’s important to remember that heat can be very dangerous, especially for children, older people and those with underlying health conditions.

“Climate change means we’re experiencing longer and more intense heatwaves, but a worrying number of people aren’t aware of the risks around hot weather. In England alone there were more than 2,500 excess deaths in the summer of 2020, and unfortunately it’s predicted that heat-related deaths in the UK could treble within 30 years.”

Read the full story on The Guardian here.