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The United Kingdom is expected to experience its hottest day in June ever recorded, with temperatures predicted to exceed 35°C (95°F) on Tuesday. As the week progresses, heat is anticipated to intensify, potentially pushing daily highs close to 40°C, just shy of the country’s all-time highest temperature. Authorities, including the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), have issued rare red warnings for extreme heat across parts of the Midlands, south-east Wales, and southern England for Wednesday and Thursday, signaling serious risks to health and infrastructure. Additionally, amber warnings are in place over a broader area covering much of England and Wales as temperatures soar into the mid to high 30s Celsius.
Tuesday alone will see a significant increase in heat across the UK. Northern England and Wales will experience highs ranging from 28°C to 30°C, while the Midlands, eastern, and southern England regions are expected to climb well above 33°C. The south Midlands and Greater London areas could reach temperatures around 36°C to 37°C, surpassing the previous June record of 35.6°C set in 1976. Scotland and Northern Ireland will also enjoy warmer conditions with temperatures between 24°C and 27°C under sunnier skies. The heatwave is set to intensify further, with a red warning coming into effect from 9 am on Wednesday through 9 pm on Thursday in England and Wales.
Such elevated temperatures, reaching the high 30s, bring considerable challenges to public health, infrastructure, and property safety, prompting the issuance of red heat warnings, which are uncommon and reserved for exceptional situations. The last time a red warning was declared for extreme heat was in July 2022, coinciding with the current UK temperature record of 40.3°C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire. With forecasts indicating that temperatures around 40°C could be recorded again midweek, this record faces a potential challenge. The UKHSA has placed red heat health alerts in effect during Wednesday and Thursday for the Midlands, eastern, and southern England, highlighting the serious impacts on health and social care services and the heightened risk to all populations. Amber heat health alerts are also active across Northern England during this period.
Accompanying the intense heat is high humidity, which will contribute to a feeling of discomfort beyond previous heatwaves, including those experienced in May and the historic one in July 2022. High humidity impairs the body’s ability to cool down through sweating, leading to increased internal heat retention. This combination raises the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat stress and heatstroke, especially among vulnerable groups. The humid conditions are expected to persist overnight, with temperatures only dropping to between 17°C and 22°C. Records for overnight warmth stand at 22.7°C across the UK and England, set in 1976, and 20.0°C for Wales, recorded in 2023. This heatwave also draws comparisons to the intense period of warmth 50 years ago in 1976, noted for 15 consecutive days of temperatures at or above 32.2°C somewhere in the UK, including a stretch of 16 consecutive days over 30°C at London Heathrow
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