UK faces longer heatwave than July’s 40C record as millions under hosepipe ban
Met Office says forecast is ‘bad news’ for southern areas ‘where some rain would really be useful now’
The UK is set to face another heatwave that is expected to last longer than the record breaking temperatures from July.
Temperatures are due to soar this week, with forecasters saying they could enter the mid-30Cs by Friday.
It comes just weeks after the UK was gripped by its last heatwave, when 40C heat was recorded for the first time ever and fires broke out across the country.
While temperatures are not expected to reach the same peak, the Met Office said the upcoming scorching weather is expected to last for longer.
“It will be a lot of sunshine for a vast majority of the UK and also temperatures rising day after day,” Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said.
“Not everyone will initially see those sunny conditions, but towards the end of the week even Scotland and Northern Ireland will join the rest of the UK in having generally fine, sunny and very warm if not hot conditions.
“It does look like a prolonged period of dry weather and obviously that’s bad news for southern England where some rain would really be useful now.”
He added: “In terms of temperatures we’re looking at them build from 28C or 29C tomorrow to the low to mid 30s from Thursday onwards, so a fairly widespread heatwave developing across the UK this week.
“The peak of the temperatures look likely to occur on Friday or Saturday.”
Parts of north-west Scotland may be cloudier and breezier up to Wednesday, but fine weather is expected for all areas of the country later in the week.
Mr Morgan said the West Midlands and West Country could see the highest temperatures, with a maximum of around 35C predicted, but added this was still uncertain.
He added: “The heatwave we saw at the end of July, that was relatively short-lived and saw exceptionally high, record-breakingly high temperatures.
“We’re quite confident temperatures will not go as high as they did during July, but the difference is that this is going to be quite a prolonged period of temperatures in the low 30s, so it will be very notable nonetheless.
“Heatwave criteria are likely to be met across many parts of the UK and there will no doubt be some adverse impacts from heatwave exhaustion, dehydration and so on, so we do anticipate some potentially adverse effects to the NHS and more vulnerable people having heat-related problems through this period of time.”
The Met Office has urged people to follow precautions to avoid becoming overheated, including closing curtains and windows during the day and avoiding the midday sun.
It comes after the environment secretary urged more water companies to impose hosepipe bans during an unusually dry August.
George Eustice said some firms have already “rightly” taken action to mitigate the effects of the prolonged dry weather as he encouraged others to follow suit.
His remarks, the first public intervention by ministers, signal possible restrictions on watering gardens, washing cars or filling pools with hosepipes for millions more people across southern England in the coming days.
Southern Water has already imposed a hosepipe ban for customers in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, followed exactly a week later for South East Water customers in Kent and Sussex.
Welsh Water has also announced a ban for Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire later this month.
Additional reporting by Press Association