UK heatwave: Alert issued as temperatures could hit 30 degrees next week
The UK is set to be hotter than Los Angeles on Friday as temperatures push towards 30C ahead of a predicted heatwave.
Parts of the country will reach 28C by the afternoon, also surpassing top European holiday destination such as St Tropez, Marbella and Santorini, with conditions dry and sunny across England and Wales.
The Met Office has said it will start a consistent run of high temperatures over the next few days, meaning Britons could bask in an official heatwave.
The forecaster and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), meanwhile, issued a level two heat-health alert warning ahead of the heatwave.
The alert is in place from 9am on Monday July 11 until 9am on Friday July 15, and covers the East of England, South East and London regions.
The UK previously experienced a heatwave three weeks ago, with June 17 marking the hottest day of the year so far.
Temperatures in London could soar to as high as 30C next week. The South, Midlands and eastern parts of the UK are predicted to see highs of 25C and 26C, while the North and West could reach 24C.
The beginning of the heatwave could be felt on Thursday in places such as Leconfield, East Yorkshire, which experienced highs of 26C. Northern Ireland also had warm temperatures, with Thursday marking the warmest day of the year so far this year with highs of 23.5C.
Greg Dewhurst, forecaster for the Met Office, said: “Over the course of this week, much of next week, temperatures are going to be above average and very warm locally, hot at times.
“It looks like temperatures, particularly for the east of Scotland, will rise over the coming day. So we’ve seen highs around 24C today, tomorrow it will be about 23C, very similar on Sunday, and then Monday could be around 25C and 26C.
“Over the next few days, primarily the highest temperatures will be across southern and eastern parts of the UK. But I think as we go through the weekend and into next week, the heat is likely to be across pretty much the UK.”
Friday is predicted to be dry with sunshine across England and Wales.
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Over the weekend and into early next week, most areas are expected to be dry with warm sunshine and hot temperatures. The North West, meanwhile, may see some cloud and light rain.
London, the South East and East are expected to see highs of 24C and 25C on Friday while the South West may be slightly cooler with 23C and 24C.
The Midlands and North West are also predicted to be 23C, while Wales could see 22C.
Saturday is expected to be slightly cooler, with 22C predicted across the South and East, while the North and Midlands could enjoy temperatures of 21C.
Sunday, meanwhile, is largely expected to be highs of 23C all round across the South, East and Midlands, while parts of the North may be closer to 22C.
The Met Office defines a heatwave as when a location records a period for at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold. The threshold varies by UK county.
On the four-level heat-health alert scale, which is designed to help healthcare workers manage through periods of extreme temperatures, level 1 is the lowest warning and is the minimum state of vigilance used during the summer months.
Level 2, called alert and readiness, is triggered as soon as there is a 60% risk that temperature thresholds will be reached in one or more regions on at least two consecutive days and the intervening night.