Heat alert in United Kingdom as temperature soars high

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

A heat-health alert has been issued across most of England by the UK Health Security Agency as temperatures are expected to soar to 32°C (89.6°F) during the middle of the week.

The yellow warning is in effect for seven regions until 21:00 BST on Sunday, urging caution for the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

This heatwave is not limited to England, as Wales will also experience hot weather, and parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland may see “unseasonably high temperatures.” The affected regions include London, the South East, the South West, the East and West Midlands, the East, North West, and Yorkshire and Humber.

Although the United Kingdom has experienced a generally cooler and wetter summer, temperatures have reached 30°C in southern England and southeast Wales recently. The Met Office forecasts highs of 31°C through Tuesday, with temperatures potentially reaching 32°C on Wednesday and Thursday, primarily in southeast and central England.

There is a possibility of “tropical nights” on Wednesday and Thursday when temperatures may not drop below 20°C. These high temperatures are attributed to the jet stream’s behaviour over the Atlantic Ocean, driven by tropical storms and low-pressure areas.

While Friday may still see temperatures of 31°C, there could be more cloud cover and chances of rain in the far north-west of Scotland. The Met Office suggests that conditions might change over the weekend, with no strong heatwave anticipated afterward, and average temperatures are expected to return by the middle of the following week.

This heatwave underscores the increasing likelihood and severity of heatwaves due to climate change, with last year seeing the UK record temperatures exceeding 40 degree Celsius for the first time, an event considered virtually impossible without climate change.

Additionally, recent “picturesque” sunsets in the United Kingdom have been attributed to “Saharan dust,” which is expected to cover parts of the country later in the week.

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