The British suffered the hottest day of the year on Wednesday, as temperatures reached 28 degrees Celsius in parts of London and parts of the south-east with exceptional heat.
The Met office said temperatures will reach as high as 34 ºC on Friday.
An increase in warm weather over the years in the UK has been linked to climate change, and the Met Office warned that this week’s stifling conditions would normally be “rare” for June.
Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Center, said: “Climate change has increased the average temperature of summers in the UK and is also increasing the likelihood of experiencing more extreme temperatures during periods of heat and heat waves “.
The Met Office and the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) have issued a Level 3 heat health alert for the South East of England, London and the East of England, while there is a level 1 alert for the north of England.
Key points
Show the latest update 1655357413
What heat should it make before workers have to be sent home by their employers?
The Meteorological Office has issued an alert for Friday and Saturday this week, with temperatures expected to rise to 34 ºC.
But can employees quit their jobs if it’s too hot?
Sravasti Dasgupta June 16, 2022 6:30 p.m.
1655356513
Temperatures are rising across Europe
The UK is not the only country in Europe to see temperatures rise this week.
Higher temperatures are forecast in several European countries.
Sravasti Dasgupta June 16, 2022 6:15 p.m.
1655355261
Warmer areas on Wednesday
These are the areas that recorded the highest temperatures on Wednesday, according to the Met Office.
Sravasti Dasgupta June 16, 2022 5:54 AM
1655354033
Wednesday recorded as the hottest day of the year
Temperatures on Wednesday reached 28 ºC in parts of London, and parts of the south-east were exceptionally warm as the British suffocated on the hottest day of the year.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 34 ° C on Friday.
The 28C recorded at St James’s Park in central London on Wednesday overshadowed the 27.5C set in mid-May at Heathrow.
Sravasti Dasgupta June 16, 2022 5:33 AM
1655352000
What is causing the heat wave in the UK?
The warm climate flow comes from Spain and Portugal, where daytime temperatures have exceeded 40C in southern Spain.
But warm weather is also “self-produced,” according to the meteorological office, and climate change has also been cited as a reason.
Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “We are under a lot of pressure right now, so we are accumulating a certain amount of natural heat from our own crop because obviously we have clear skies and fairly dry ground conditions. in the south of England.
“We have also received warmer air from further south in Europe, where there has been a major heat incident, especially in Iberia, so this is leading to the kind of crescendo we will see on Friday.”
A woman rushes during the first heat wave of the year in Seville, Spain
(Marcel del Pou / Reuters)
Dr Mark McCarthy, head of the Met Office’s National Climate Information Center, said: “Climate change has increased the average temperature of summers in the UK and is also increasing the likelihood of experiencing more extreme temperatures during periods of heat and heat waves.
“Reaching 34ºC in June is a rare, but not unprecedented, event in the UK’s climate record. June “.
Lamiat Sabin June 16, 2022 5:00 p.m.
1655346600
UK weather for Thursday, Friday and weekend
On Wednesday, the UK recorded the highest temperature of the year to date.
A temperature of 28.2ºC was recorded in Kew Gardens, south west London.
But most of the rest of the week is expected to be even warmer in most of the UK.
Forecasters expect London to be stifling with a heat of 29 ºC on Thursday, and other parts of the country are not expected to be much cooler.
Friday is expected to be a high temperature of up to 34 degrees Celsius in the capital, while most of the central areas, South and Wales will enjoy temperatures between 20 and 30.
Scotland and the north of England are not expected to have such a stifling heat, and most parts will have temperatures between 15 and 20 ºC.
Over the weekend, temperatures in the warmer parts of the UK are expected to drop to a cooler range of 19-24 ° C, with some heavy rainfall.
Lamiat Sabin June 16, 2022 3:30 p.m.
1655341200
Analysis: Will heat waves wake us up from the impact of the climate crisis?
As heat waves take over the northern hemisphere, Harry Cockburn, an environmental correspondent for The Independent, considers how governments will respond to the hottest and earlier summers:
Liam James June 16, 2022 2:00 p.m.
1655335800
Climate of the United Kingdom: the British are suffocating with a heat of 28 ºC on the hottest day of the year
The British have suffered the hottest day of the year, marking the start of a heat wave with temperatures expected to rise to 34 ºC on Friday (writes Thomas Kingsley).
Temperatures reached 28ºC in parts of London on Wednesday, and parts of the south-east were exceptionally warm.
The UK Health Safety Agency and the Met Office issued a level 3 heat health alert, the second highest on a scale of 0 to 4, for London, East of England and the South -East, with a Level 1 alert for the north of England. .
The 28ºC recorded at St James’s Park in central London makes it the hottest day of the year to date, overshadowing the 27.5CC set in mid-May at Heathrow.
Parts of the United Kingdom were expected to be warmer than the Greek islands of Santorini, Mykonos, and Zakynthos, as well as Los Angeles and parts of Barbados.
Liam James June 16, 2022 12:30 p.m.
1655330446
The heat wave in Spain is severely affecting young birds
The first heat wave in Spain in more than 40 years is causing extreme stress to the country’s birds and is causing bird chicks, which nest in buildings, to fall from their nests as they try to escape the high temperatures.
A team at a bird recovery center in Madrid is treating dozens of dehydrated and malnourished waders that fell from their nests into building facades or roof cavities, after trying to leave before they could fly properly.
“Birds are especially suffering from this early June heat wave that we are having in Spain,” David Howell, climate and energy consultant at SEO Birdlife, told Reuters.
“They suffer mainly from heat stress and thirst and in some cases even have to leave the nest to try to find cooler temperatures. That is why during this period there are many chicks and nesting chicks [found] on the ground, just because they’re trying to escape the heat. “
The heat wave, which coincided with the hatching season, is expected to last until the end of the week, with temperatures exceeding 40ºC in many parts of Spain. Nighttime temperatures are also unusually high, between 20 and 25 ºC.
Liam James June 15, 2022 11:00 p.m.
1655325046
Temperatures reached 43 ºC in the hottest spring heat wave in Spain in decades
Spain has been affected by its first major heat wave of the year, with temperatures reaching 43ºC in some parts of the country.
There are warnings of extreme heat across the country, which is struggling with its first heat wave in more than four decades.
Temperatures have exceeded 40ºC in recent days, and scorching weather is expected to last all week.
On Tuesday, meteorologists said in the areas of Seville, Andalusia, Córdoba and Jaén that they expected a weather of 43ºC.
Others, including Madrid and Barcelona, also face heat warnings throughout the day with temperatures in the late 30s and early 40s.
Liam James June 15, 2022 9:30 p.m.