UK weather: Britain to swelter under TEN-day heatwave

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The whole of Britain was today under a four-day thunderstorm warning as forecasters said the scorching ten-day heatwave will continue until at least Friday, bringing temperatures of up to 99F (37C) this afternoon.

The UK is experiencing an extraordinary period of scorching weather, with the mercury now having been above the official heatwave level of over 82F (28C) since last Wednesday – and a level three heat health alert in place.

Maximum temperatures of between 93F (34C) and 99F are now expected every day from today until Thursday, before they are expected to fall slightly on Friday to 82F – however, this will still be above the heatwave threshold. 

But forecasters warned thunderstorms would strike across the South West this morning, Midlands this afternoon and North West tonight – with up to six inches of rain possible in three hours in western England and North Wales. 

Further thunderstorms are expected for the rest of this week until at least Thursday, with the Met Office admitting there is ‘significant uncertainty in location and timing’ as it covered the whole country in a four-day warning.

Meteorologists now expect Britain to have the second longest run of consecutive 90F (32C) days on record. While the period is unlikely to get close to the 15 days in 1976, the run is expected to beat the second-placed five in 1995.

Thermometers got up to at least 93F (34C) in parts of South East England on both days of the weekend just gone, following the joint ninth hottest day in UK history last Friday when 97.5F (36.4C) was recorded in West London. 

The heatwave threshold is three days over 82F in London and 77F (25C) in most other parts of the UK. However, after days of scorching temperatures, large swathes of the UK will be hit by severe thunderstorms this week.

As the most prolonged period of hot August weather for 17 years continues, the forecast comes as: 

• Authorities struggled to keep people away from Britain’s overcrowded beaches amid social distancing issues; 
• South East Water urged customers to put away their hose pipes, garden sprinklers and garden water toys;
• Norfolk Police said a woman in her 30s had died after getting difficulties in the sea yesterday at Waxham;
• A 12-year-old girl’s body was found after she went missing in the water in westernScotland in the River Leven;
• In Southend, a child had suspected hypothermia after being spotted clinging to a dingy 300 yards out to sea;
• HM Coastguard dealt with the highest number of call-outs in one day for more than four years at the weekend.

But while the heat carries on, the Met Office has warned that homes and businesses could be hit by flash flooding as up to six inches of rain falls in only three hours, with the further risk of lightning, hail and strong winds. 

Met Office forecasters warned thunderstorms would strike across the South West this morning, Midlands this afternoon and North West tonight – with up to six inches of rain possible in three hours in western England and North Wales

The heat is still on but the Met Office – which has issued a broad yellow weather warning covering much the UK from Monday to Thursday – says where there are thunderstorms ‘they could be significant and disruptive’.

Yesterday was ‘another hot day’ in southern England, where temperatures reached 93.2F (34C) at Herstmonceux, East Sussex, and 92.8F (33.8C) at both London Heathrow Airport and Gosport in Hampshire, the Met Office said.

As Britain continued to swelter yesterday, authorities across the country struggled to keep people away from overcrowded beaches.

Road closures were put in place in Dorset in a last-ditch attempt to divert visitors from Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, with a family who had travelled more than six hours from Birmingham among those turned away.

By midday in Bournemouth, where beachgoers camped in tents overnight on the sand or slept in their cars to retain a space, most of its 24 beaches were placed on red alert.

The warning, which means that social distancing rules are not possible, was accompanied by a threat by the council to clamp illegally parked cars, with all of the area’s beach car parks full.

Seaside towns across the country are already busier than usual due to the surge in staycations caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Thanet District Council said Ramsgate Main Sands beach in Kent was ‘extremely busy’ yesterday, with high tide likely to make social distancing difficult.

On Saturday, HM Coastguard dealt with 340 incidents across the whole of the UK – the highest number of call-outs in a single day for more than four years.

The Coastguard co-ordinated search and rescue responses to a wide range of incidents, including people being cut off by the tide and children swept out to sea on inflatables. In total, the service rescued 146 people and assisted a further 371. 

South East Water urged its customers to put away their hose pipes, garden sprinklers and garden water toys as it said that a spike in demand had left some people with low pressure or no water.

It said it has been pumping an additional 150 million litres of water around its network, the equivalent of 27 million additional toilet flushes, to keep up with demand over the summer.

They put the increase in water use down to more people being at home and taking up DIY and gardening projects during the rise in staycations.

Meanwhile a woman in her 30s died after getting difficulties in the sea yesterday at Waxham, Norfolk, police said.   

Norfolk Police said emergency services were called to the area at around 5.30pm yesterday following reports of a woman struggling while in the sea.

Superintendent Jason Broome from Norfolk Constabulary said: ‘A woman, aged in her 30s, was recovered from the water and she was sadly pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. Her death is being treated as unexplained but not suspicious.  

‘While enquiries are continuing to establish the exact circumstances leading up to the woman’s death, this is a tragic situation and our condolences are with her family.’

And a search for a missing child in the water in the west of Scotland in the River Leven, near Balloch Bridge, ended with police finding the 12-year-old girl’s body.

Police Scotland officers were called to a report of the girl being in difficulty about 6.45pm yesterday. At around 9.45pm, the girl was recovered from the water and pronounced dead at the scene.  

Earlier, West Dumbartonshire Police, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency all confirmed they were involved in the search and asked the public to avoid the area.

The child’s family have been informed of her death and enquiries are ongoing, but police are not treating the death as suspicious. A full report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

In Southend, Essex, a child was taken to hospital with suspected hypothermia after being spotted clinging to a dingy 300 yards out to sea.

In a separate incident on Saturday, a woman died after a crash between a jet ski and a boat on the Menai Strait in North Wales.

The Met Office said the heatwave is the most prolonged period of hot August weather for 17 years.

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 weather 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 1.2in (30mm) to 1.6in (40mm) of rainfall in an hour, with some locations potentially receiving up to 6in (150mm) in three hours. 

The Met Office added that these would be fairly isolated incidents.

Regarding today, Mr Snell said: ‘The warning does not imply that everyone is going to see them (thunderstorms) – a lot of places will remain dry, sunny and hot – but we will see some fairly severe thunderstorms developing over the course of the day.’

Western areas may be more at risk of thunderstorms than regions in the east, but anywhere in the warning area could be struck – and most parts will stay dry, he stressed.

The sunshine is still set to hit the south east and there will be ‘a high chance of 36C’ in the region.

Friday saw the hottest August day in 17 years, with temperatures hitting 97.5F (36.4C) at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in West London.

Mr Snell said: ‘We started this run of 30C days on Thursday, and Monday will be the fifth day where we will have those temperatures down in the south eastern quarter of the UK.’

Scotland and Northern Ireland may have a lesser risk of seeing thunderstorms on Thursday as temperatures start to fall away.