UK weather: Yellow heat alert issued for England regions as 'mini heatwave' arrives, how long will it last?
A yellow heat health alert has been issued for four regions in England as warm weather is finally on the horizon after a period of damp and unsettled conditions.
UK Health Security agency has put East of England, East Midlands, London and the southeast under the heat alert from 5pm on Thursday (July 18) to 11pm on Saturday (July 20), which could result in increased use of health services by those most vulnerable to hotter weather.
The yellow heat alert indicates minor impacts across the health and social care sector, which likely results in increased use of healthcare services by the vulnerable population and an increase in risk of mortality amongst vulnerable individuals, as well as increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm.
According to the Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill, the temperatures will get “uncomfortably hot” especially for the southeast with 30C in some places from Thursday. He said: “In London, temperatures are really going to rise up to mid 30s, probably low 30s in some places - not just by day but it gets pretty hot by night.” He mentioned that nighttime temperatures will be "tropical," warning that this could make it difficult for many people to sleep.
However, the hot weather will not last long, he added, as the rainy and wet conditions are set to return from Saturday which will bring “cooler” temperatures to many parts of the country.
Weather expert James Madden from Exacta Weather also said the hot weather will likely return from July 17 to 21, and will get “predominantly warm to exceptionally hot throughout late July”, based on the latest Global Forecast System (GFS) runs.
He wrote on social media: “The latest runs also make a lot less of the earlier projected unsettled, cooler, and potentially stormy weather in between these temperature rises for later in the weekend and early next week, as high pressure wins over again quite quickly and delivers some widespread and very hot temperatures across many parts of the UK and Ireland.”
He also predicted that the second possible mini-heatwave could arrive more than two weeks later, between August 10 and August 15, as temperatures could top 30C in the south, while other parts of the country could see the mercury approach this level.
He said: "In terms of the highest temperatures during these heat surges during late July and August, we could easily see top temperatures in the mid to high 30Cs across the southern half of the country," he said. "Temperatures close to or hitting 30C elsewhere are still to come throughout this summer during the most extreme heat and high pressure rises across our shores."
The Met Office however seems to have downplayed any chance of a heatwave based on its long-range forecast, saying that temperatures will likely reach “near or below normal” between July 20 and July 29, but “remaining changeable thereafter” as weather systems to move across the country from the west, with northern and western areas typically wettest and a greater chance of dry conditions prevailing in the southeast.
It added: “There is, however, a smaller chance for either unsettled weather to be more widely prevalent, or for a more quiescent period to develop across the south. Overall, temperatures will likely be near normal, but may feel cool in the west at times.”
But according to its long-range forecast between July 30 and August 13, the UK will head towards a more settled conditions, particularly in the south. The Met Office said: “However, there is still a substantial chance of other outcomes too, with more changeable periods also likely. Overall drier than average conditions are more likely than wetter than average, and warmer than average conditions are weakly favoured too.”