A yellow heat health alert has been issued across parts of the country from Monday with temperatures set to soar well above 30C.
The warning has been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) from 12pm on Monday August 11 until 6pm on Wednesday August 13. Soaring temperatures could see the fourth heatwave of the year declared, with health bosses cautioning over “significant impacts” across health and social care services.
It comes as the tail end of Tropical Storm Dexter crosses the ocean from the east coast of the US, drawing warm air up from the southwest across the country. The warning covers Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, London, the South East and South West.
According to the Met Office, the mercury could reach the low 30s on Monday and mid 30s on Tuesday, with the south of England expected to face the highest temperatures. Forecasters said they are “confident” Dexter will bring warm weather from Sunday, but the outlook for later in the week remains “uncertain”.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Steven Keates, said: “We’re confident that temperatures will increase markedly by the start of next week, reaching the low 30s Celsius in parts of England on Monday and perhaps the mid 30s in a few places on Tuesday. However, the length of this warm spell is still uncertain, and it is possible that high temperatures could persist further into next week, particularly in the south.”
“Ex-Dexter sets the wheels in motion for an uptick in temperatures, but the weather patterns then maintaining any hot weather are rather more uncertain”.
Storm Dexter formed just off the east coast of the US and has travelled across the Atlantic. It is expected to weaken and become an ex-tropical storm before it hits the UK.
Forecasters register a heatwave when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold. This threshold varies depending on the area, from 25C in Scotland to 28C in London.
The storm follows turbulent weather earlier this week as Storm Floris left tens of thousands of homes in Scotland and Northern Ireland without power. Dozens of trains, flights, and ferries were cancelled as high winds and rain battered the country.
Conditions have gradually improved since, with wet and windy weather remaining in the far north but largely dry and pleasant temperatures across the rest of the country. Friday is set to be bright and clear across much of the UK, with “coastal gales” and rain in Scotland.
The Met Office has said the UK can expect “changeable weather” over the weekend, with most of southern and central England seeing bright and dry conditions with temperatures in the mid-20s. Forecasters say it will be breezy further north with some showers, particularly in northern Scotland.
