Britain faces 30C temperatures this week and uncomfortable tropical nights

17 July 2024, 11:47 | Updated: 17 July 2024, 14:44

A heat health warning has been issued for this week as sweltering temperatures are expected.

The country could be facing tropical nights this week, as the temperatures in the UK are set to reach highs of 30C.

An Iberian Plume is on its way to our shores which will bring stifling weather, resulting in the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issuing a yellow heat health alert for London at the east of England.

The warning is in place from 5pm on Thursday the 18th of July and will be in effect until Saturday the 20th of July, with temperatures staying above 20C throughout the night. This may cause health implications for the elderly or infirm.

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The UKHASA said: "Minor impacts are probable across the health and social care sector, including: increased use of healthcare services by the vulnerable population; increase in risk of mortality amongst vulnerable individuals and increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm."

The south east of England is set to face the brunt of the hot weather, while the rest of the country will experience temperatures in the 20Cs and hight teens.

Rebekah Hicks, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: "A change of weather type is on the way over the next 24 hours, with high pressure in the east drawing up warmer air from the continent over the next few days. Although temperature may be near normal in the northwest, it will be turning very warm in the south and east, with maxima

of up to 30C in southeast England on Friday.

"The nights are also expected to be very warm in the southeast on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures potentially staying above 20C in some places overnight. The heat doesn't look to last long though, as a frontal system pushes the warm air away and things turn more unsettled at the weekend."

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The scorching temperatures are in stark contrast to the cooler summer we have had so far, which saw only one heatwave in June. With an average UK temperature of 12.8°C from the 1st of June to the 8th of July, we could be set for one of our coldest summers yet.

Met Office forecaster Aidan McGivern said: "The UK’s summer so far has been remarkably cold by recent standards. Since the year 2000, only 2012 was this cold from June 1 to July 8."

However things are set to perk up towards the end of July and start of August, with the Met Office predicting: "Through this period, there remains a slightly increased chance of more settled spells of weather developing at times, particularly in the south, and the likelihood of this has been gradually increasing over the past few days.

"However, there is still a substantial chance of other outcomes too, with more changeable periods also likely. Overall drier than average conditions are more likely than wetter than average, and warmer than average conditions are weakly favoured too."

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