FUN IN THE SUN
UK weather: Brits soak up 29C sunshine at the beach as Saharan dust hits Britain amid Met Office heatwave forecast
BRITS are soaking up 29C sunshine today as the Met Office predicts a heatwave will hit the UK.
Beachgoers have flocked to the coast as "unseasonably warm" temperatures soar and Saharan dust sweeps across Britain this week.
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Glorious orange sunrises were seen in West Sussex, Dorset and London this morning, encouraging runners to go for an early jog as the Met Office said heatwave conditions could be met later this week.
And happy Brits are making the most of the heat - which could reach as high as 32C tomorrow - as parasols and deck chairs were set up on beaches across the southeast.
Meanwhile, others put down towels and made picnics in London parks to top up their tan.
Walkers have even taken to using umbrellas to shade themselves from the intense sun and heat as the Met Office predicted heatwave conditions could be met this week.
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According to the Met Office, a heatwave is an extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year.
The threshold for a heatwave varies by area and often develop due to a jet stream north of the UK.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Neil Armstrong said: "While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales especially, with parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland also likely to see some unseasonably high temperatures."
According to the Met Office, those in the south, particularly in Reading and Guildford, are due to feel highs of 30C this afternoon, and London has already reached 29C.
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Beachgoers at Brighton beach are also lapping up the sun in 29C heat this afternoon.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber alert with warnings health and social care services could come under "significant" pressure.
Officials cautioned that vulnerable people - like the elderly, young children and those with health conditions - were at increased risk of dying until at least Sunday.
The alert added that travel delays and staffing issues were likely.
The Saharan dust plume blowing across the UK has also prompted a health alert.
Experts have warned the sand clouds could trigger asthma attacks.
According to charity , people with asthma and other breathing difficulties could be at risk or breathlessness and coughing.
Those with more serious conditions could experience hospitalisation, warned the experts, who suggested staying indoors and carrying an inhaler with you.
Meanwhile, temperatures across the Midlands, Birmingham and Manchester have stayed in the high 20s today and will hover around 27C until late evening.
Parts of Scotland are experiencing highs of 25C this afternoon, while Northern Ireland reached 24C.
These conditions come as a tropical cyclone in the North Atlantic has helped move the jet stream across the UK.
This tropical weather could make some nights this week "uncomfortably warm", according to the Met Office.
In the south, it is set to remain in the 20s throughout the night.
However, Brits in the far north and western areas may not feel the expected heatwave as the Met Office forecasts breezy conditions, intermittent thunderstorms and heavy downpours for some.
It follows recent stormy weather which battered the UK when Brits were on the northern side of the jet stream, bringing cooler air and unsettled conditions.
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Mark Sidaway said: “High pressure is situated to the southeast of the UK, which is bringing more settled conditions with temperatures on the rise through the first half of this week.
"While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales especially, with parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland also likely to see some unseasonably high temperatures.”
Rachel Ayers, senior meteorologist, said: "On Wednesday, mist and fog will clear once again with low cloud burning back to the coast through the morning, again leaving a very warm or hot day.
"Again some patchy cloud in the far west and Northern Ireland. A chance of showers moving into the south west during the evening, risk of an isolated thunderstorm. Temperatures will climb to 32C in central and south-east England."
Thursday will also see highs of 32C in the southeast but "overnight showers will push north in the west with some outbreaks of rain in the far north west of Scotland," according to the meteorologist.
"On Friday, most places will remain fine and dry with sunny spells. Areas of cloud will limit sunshine in places, with a small chance of an isolated shower or thunderstorm, predominantly in the west," she continued.
However Met Office meteorologists are uncertain how long the unseasonably warm weather will last.
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“A cold front will begin to influence things from the northwest ahead of the weekend, bringing temperatures down and an increasing chance of rain for those in the west of Scotland and Northern Ireland," Mark Sidaway continued.
“There’s still a large degree of uncertainty on the exact timing of this front, and there’s a chance that those further south in the UK could keep some higher than average temperatures through much of the weekend, perhaps even into the start of next week, though even this will be a step down from the peak that we’ll see in mid-week.”
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