It’s not the Sahara... it’s Wimbledon Common, with Britain set for 33ºC heatwave
UNRELENTING sunshine beats down on a parched and dusty landscape. A foreign desert somewhere near the Equator, perhaps? No, Wimbledon Common yesterday.
And in bad news for Wombles and anyone else who doesn’t like to swelter, the grass is unlikely to get greener any time soon.
In fact, much of Britain is expected to bask in a weeklong heatwave with temperatures rising as high as 33C (91F) – hotter even than Rio de Janeiro.
Hot sunshine is forecast across England and Wales as warm air is drawn north from Africa. Health warnings have been issued for those with conditions such as asthma – due to high pollen and increased pollution – and older and vulnerable groups susceptible to high temperatures.
The British Skin Foundation charity is urging people to stay out of direct sunshine between 11am and 3pm when levels of ultraviolet radiation are at their highest, use sun cream of Factor 30 and above, wear hats and keep T-shirts on.
The conditions have led to a Level Three heat health alert being issued for South-East England, London and East Anglia, covering from Monday to Friday morning.
People are being urged to ‘look out for others, especially older people, young children and babies, and those with underlying health conditions’.
Households are being told to close curtains in rooms facing the sun, drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol.
A Level Two heat health warning, urging households to be ‘alert and ready’, applies to the rest of England.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said the South-East could expect 29C (84F) today, with a few spots reaching 30C (86F). Temperatures will stay fairly high overnight, dropping to only 15-16C (59-61F) in many areas.
Tomorrow is due to be slightly cooler as a weak weather front crosses the country, but on Monday hot weather is due to return.
‘We could see highs of 32C (90F) on Monday or Tuesday, most likely in south or central England,’ Mr Dixon said.
Isolated spots could even reach 33C (91F), breaking the record hottest temperature of the year so far of 32.7C (90.86F) recorded in Norfolk on June 15.
Further north, Manchester, Leeds and York could reach 2728C (79-81F), while 25C (77F) is expected in south Wales.
South-West England, western and northern Wales, and northern England are set to be cooler, reaching 24C (75F) on Monday.
The very hot conditions are due to continue into Wednesday but the forecast is less certain for the later part of next week.
The UK Health Security Agency urged households to cover windows exposed to sunlight and make sure fridges, freezers and fans were working properly.