Hottest July day ever on the way
BRITAIN’S record July temperature of 98F (36.7C) could be pipped at some point on Thursday, with 98.6F possible in central London, forecasters claim.
Weather.com also warned that it will be a struggle to sleep tonight for many people with temperatures reaching 77F at 1am and falling marginally to 75F by 3am.
However the Met Office has warned that the sweltering spell could bring some disruption from thunderstorms bringing heavy downpours.
A forecaster at the Met Office also said that it would be a wet end of the week for some, with a yellow weather warning of rain already in place for the weekend for parts of western Scotland, Northern Ireland and parts of northern England.
This could lead to some localised flooding and travel disruption, according to forecasters at the Met Office.
Temperatures reached 82F in southern England yesterday, which is expected to see the best of the warm weather as the week progresses.
A Met Office spokesman said: “As we head through the week, the rain will generally begin to ease across northern areas, so the potential is for much of the UK to see some hot conditions.
“There will be some sunshine around during the week, but also the risk of some heavy thundery downpours as well.”
The high temperatures will continue to increase further as the week progresses.
Although the main concentration of the hot weather will be in central and south-eastern England, parts of Scotland could reach the high 80s.
Looking ahead to the weekend, the Met Office expects temperatures to fall and rain to sweep in to some parts of the UK.
“It looks most likely that, at least by Saturday, most areas will see a bit of a drop in temperatures,” the spokesman said.
With some areas set for sweltering temperatures, Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said people should take care and check on vulnerable neighbours. Asthma UK urged Britain’s 5.4 million sufferers to keep up their medication.
Ms May said: “It’s really important to take simple precautions like drinking plenty of water, using high-factor sunscreen and remembering to take allergy medication if you need it – as is making sure to check in on neighbours and loved ones who can suffer the most from heat and pollen.”