Heat health alerts and hosepipe ban issued as third heatwave hits UK
Temperatures are expected to soar up to 32C by Friday - hotter than in Lisbon, Istanbul and Rome.
Last week saw highs of up to 34.7C in London, as Wimbledon players relied on ice packs to cope with the baking sun - while the 35.8C recorded in Faversham, Kent, on 1 July is the hottest of the year so far.
The latest hot spell is not expected to be quite as warm, but is forecast to last longer and cover a broader area.
It will be the third in four weeks after two weekends of hot conditions for much of the country in the final weeks of June, which was the hottest on record across England.
The Met Office is predicting many areas could see temperatures 10C above the seasonal average.Yellow heat health alerts - which indicate people with pre-existing health conditions, and those aged over 65, could be at higher risk - have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency covering all of England from 11am on Thursday until 10am on 15 July.
Yorkshire Water has issued a hosepipe ban - the country's first of the year - which comes into force on Friday, with breaches punishable by fines of up to £1,000.
Tennis fans attending the Wimbledon finals on Saturday and Sunday are being advised to wear plenty of sun cream and stay hydrated, with plus-30C temperatures, very high UV and pollen levels expected in the capital.
To be considered a heatwave, the temperature needs to reach or surpass 28C in the south and 25C in the north for at least three consecutive days.
The Met Office predicts temperatures of up to 31C on Thursday and 32C on Friday in the south of England and Wales.
In the north of England, Thursday could see highs of 27C, edging up to 29C on Friday and 30C on Saturday with isolated highs of 31C.
Read more:
Scotland is also due to hit the heatwave threshold, with temperatures on the east coast forecast to reach 31C on Saturday, potentially breaking local records, according to Met Office meteorologist Liam Eslick.
The temperature will slowly start to decrease by Monday or Tuesday.
"It is going to be a hot one with little cloud around," Mr Eslick said.
"UV levels are going to be pretty high so anyone going to the [Wimbledon] finals should wear plenty of sun cream and stay hydrated as there is not going to be too much of a breeze to cool down.
"Pollen levels are also going to be high, so any hay fever sufferers should take medication to reduce that risk."
He said the weekend would be very sunny and dry, with the wildfire risk classed as moderate, and advised those planning barbecues to make sure they extinguish them properly as the ground will be dry.
Cold water shock warning
RNLI water safety manager Ross Macleod warned those heading to the coast the seas can still be cold enough to trigger cold water shock, with waves and rip currents strong enough to overpower even the most experienced swimmers.
He urged anyone in difficulty not to panic and advised: "Tilt your head back, with your ears submerged. Relax and try to breathe normally. Move your hands and legs to help you stay afloat if you need to."
"Heading to the coast is a great way to have fun, relax and cool off in these high temperatures, but remembering this one piece of advice could save your life if you find yourself struggling in water," he said.
"We also encourage people to choose a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags, which is the area most closely monitored by the lifeguards."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
Beat the heat with these cooling gadgets and wearables
You can only sit in front of the fridge with the door open for so long. As heat waves blast the world like a blow dryer on high, folks are reaching for anything that promises a little personal chill: portable mini fans, cooling neck wraps, high-tech vests and all kinds of heat-beating headwear.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Heatwave set to peak with highs of more than 34C, with warning of potential rise in deaths
The third heatwave to hit the UK this summer is set to peak on Saturday, forecasters have said, with highs of more than 34C possible in some areas. Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday, warning of a potential rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. Temperatures hit 34.7C at Astwood Bank, near Worcester, on Friday, according to the Met Office, with similar or even higher temperatures expected on Saturday."It might be plus or minus half a degree higher or lower (on Saturday), probably maybe a little bit higher, but that's going to be the peak as then temperatures start coming down a little bit through the second half of the weekend as low pressure slowly starts to edge in," meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said. Fire chiefs have warned people to stay safe, while cautioning of the increased risks of wildfires and drowning during the heatwave. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) asked people not to enter water to try to cool down and urged parents and carers to ensure children are supervised around water at all times. HM Coastguard also issued safety advice for people heading to the coast, saying data from the water incident database shows over the last three years most drownings occurred in July. Although temperatures may peak on Saturday, it will remain "very warm" across the country on Sunday, the Met Office said. "We're probably looking at maximum temperatures around 30C, 31C degrees across central and southern England, but still widely across the whole UK, mid to high 20s," Mr Dewhurst said. "It could still get to around 29 or 30C across southeast England on Monday, and then everyone into the fresher air by Tuesday, temperatures more like 23C, 24C as the maximum temperature." Read more: In addition to the amber alerts, the UK Health Security Agency also has yellow alerts in place until Monday for the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and Humber. On Friday Yorkshire Water brought in hosepipe restrictions, as part of efforts to protect supplies in the face of further dry weather forecast for the coming weeks. It means customers in Kent and Sussex are banned from using a hosepipe to water gardens and plants, clean vehicles, fill swimming pool or ponds or to clean paths, walls or windows, with anyone ignoring the ban potentially facing fines of up to £1,000.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Startling images show low reservoir levels as hosepipe ban begins across the Pennines
Images taken this week show startlingly low water levels in reservoirs as Greater Manchester bakes in 30C heat and a hosepipe ban is introduced across the Pennines. The pictures were taken at Yarrow Reservoir, between Bolton and Chorley, which is owned by United Utilities (UU). They show the receding depth and 'baked banks' with the water 'almost at the level of the 2018 drought'. This week, Yorkshire Water became the first major utility to declare a hosepipe ban, placing restrictions on activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools across the region. The 'Pennine source' reservoirs, which straddle the border between Greater Manchester and Lancashire, are currently at 45.9 pc capacity, according to UU data. The average level for 2025 at the same sites has been 72.1pc. Present levels are 1.5 pc down in just a week and with temperatures set to reach 30C on Saturday and Sunday in the region there is no immediate end to the dry spell. United Utilities have shared their verdict on whether a hosepipe ban could be enforced in Manchester over the coming days. A spokesman said that, despite the visual appearance of some reservoirs they were a long way from being empty and at present 'we're not currently considering a ban'. He added: 'With the rainfall we've had in the last month, we've seen our reservoir levels recover.' Some rain in June followed the driest spring for 132 years in England. Long-term forecasts suggest drier than average conditions through much of July and possibly August too. That would further increase pressure on water stocks. The spokesman, added: 'We do always encourage customers to use water wisely.' Phil Taylor, who took the images, is a frequent visitor to the reservoirs in the Rivington and Anglezarke areas, where the pictures were taken on Thursday, July 10. He said: 'The region is officially in drought. 'The reservoir is now almost at the level of the 2018 drought. 'The River Yarrow feeding it has reduced to a muddy trickle when I visited.' The Yorkshire Water ban comes into into place today (Friday, June 11) and anyone found in breach of the demand could face fines of up to £1,000. A drought was declared by the Environment Agency across Yorkshire in June, while the North West of England entered drought status in May. The hosepipe ban in Yorkshire will remain in place until the region has seen 'significant rainfall'. While Yorkshire Water said they will lift the restrictions as 'soon as we are able', the company's director of water, Dave Kaye, warned that the embargo could last into the winter months. People can still wash their car and water their gardens using tap water from a bucket or watering can during this period, while the region's 139,000 businesses will be allowed to use a hosepipe if it is directly related to an essential commercial purpose.
