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UK heatwave ends as cooler weather and rain returns

UK heatwave ends as cooler weather and rain returns

BBC News19 hours ago
Heat health alerts across England have ended following the third heatwave of the year, with fresher and more unsettled weather now setting in.Temperatures on Monday will be significantly lower than in recent days, with highs between 18C and 24C for most of the UK. This marks a return to conditions more typical for mid-July after a stretch of unseasonable heat.There will be heavy rain in Scotland and frequent showers in Northern Ireland, while the south will remain largely dry, isolated showers are possible.
The shift in weather is due to change due to an area of low pressure bringing rain and cool air from the Atlantic.It comes after a sweltering three-day stretch in which temperatures soared well above average with 34.7C in Astwood Bank, Worcestershire, on Friday, 33.1C in Cardiff on Saturday and 31.2C in Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands on Sunday. The first hosepipe ban of the year was also introduced in Yorkshire last week, following the warmest June for England and the driest and sunniest spring in over a century.Amber and yellow heat health alerts, which had been issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the entirety of England due to the risk of high temperatures affecting vulnerable groups, expired at 09:00 BST.
While most of the UK enjoys some relief from the heat, south-east England will still see warm conditions with highs of up to 28C - however this is below the official heatwave threshold. The cooler pattern is expected to continue into Tuesday and the change in temperature will be more notable with highs between 18 and 21C. There will be heavy rain in parts of Northern Ireland, southern Scotland, Wales and northern England. The rain will fragment into showers as it moves into central and south-eastern areas, but most areas will see some rainfall.Looking ahead, temperatures are forecast to rise again towards the end of the week, particularly in central and south-eastern England. Highs could approach 30C again by Friday or Saturday.Despite this brief dip in temperatures, the Met Office has issued a warning that spells of extreme weather are becoming increasingly frequent. A new report released on Monday highlights how the UK is breaking temperature and rainfall records more often, attributing the trend to climate change.With hotter, drier summers and wetter, stormier winters, Britain's climate is shifting and the impact is being felt not only in cities, but across the natural world, where species are struggling to adapt.
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