Heatwave on a record run … but now with added thunderstorms
LONDON is heading for a spectacular end to the intense heatwave, with temperatures well above 30C combining with violent thunderstorms.
The mercury is forecast to top the 32C mark in the capital today, tomorrow and on Wednesday, creating a run of six consecutive days of extreme heat — the longest such sequence since 1976.
But from today the high temperatures are expected to be accompanied by intense downpours across much of the country. London will be hotter than several tropical holiday destinations today, including Bali in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand, where the maximum temperature is 29C. The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for most of the UK for thunderstorms until Thursday. Fresher air is expected by the end of the week. Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “For England and Wales over the next four days, there is a risk of some very severe weather in places but it is not going to be everywhere. Away from the thunderstorms, it is still going to be very hot. It is not going to be wall-to-wall sunshine, but it is not going to be a washout each day.”
The warning means there is a risk of torrential rain, hail, frequent lightning and strong gusty winds in much of England and Wales if intense thunderstorms break out.
Downpours could see totals of 20mm to 30mm of rainfall in an hour, with some locations potentially receiving 40 to 60mm in three hours, equivalent to the average rainfall expected for the whole of August. The Met Office said these would be fairly isolated incidents.
Friday was the hottest August day in 17 years, with temperatures of 36.4C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens. Saturday’s top temperature was 34.5C — recorded at Frittenden in Kent, Wiggonholt in West Sussex, and Herstmonceux in East Sussex, the Met Office said.
Forecasters now expect Britain to see the second longest run of consecutive days with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) on record. Although the run is unlikely to get close to the 15 days of 1976, it is expected to beat the second-placed five consecutive days in 1995.
South East Water has urged its customers not to use hose pipes and garden sprinklers as it said that a spike in demand had left some people with low pressure or no water, despite pumping an additional 150 million litres of water into its network.