RED ALERT
UK weather forecast – Brits set for hottest day EVER at 39C as ‘toxic’ mix of Saharan dust and European wildfires to turn sky RED
A "TOXIC" mix of Saharan dust and European wildfires are set to turn the sky red amid an amber health warning as the hot weather continues with Brits set for the hottest day ever at 39C.
Today the UK will bake in highs of 32C as an African heatwave with sweltering humidity sweeps the UK for the first week of the school holidays.
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UK set for record breaking temperatures in the hottest week of the year
Boiling air originating from Africa will sweep over France and Spain and across Britain for 48 hours from tomorrow.
It will arrive laden with sand from the Sahara Desert and smoke from fires currently ravaging swathes of Portugal, forecasters say.
AMBER ALERT
An amber heat alert - the second-highest level - has been issued for the east and south east of England as well as the East Midlands.
The Met Office has also issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms for most of the UK from 6pm tonight until 9am tomorrow.
Scattered thunderstorms are predicted to move north leading to potential power cuts and travel delays by tomorrow morning.
Temperatures are expected to rocket past the 35C mark before the end of the week, smashing summer heat records.
Hot weather could largely hold out through the rest of summer amid warnings to take extra care during the "dangerous" weather.
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HEATWAVE ACTION
The Met Office with Public Health England (PHE) has ramped up a near-nationwide "heatwave action alert" – one step below "national emergency".
It covers southeastern and southern England until the end of the week with a less severe ‘alert and readiness’ warning across the southwest and parts of northeastern and central Britain.
Elderly people and those with health conditions have been warned to stay indoors during the hottest periods this week.
High humidity will make it feel close to 44C across parts of southern England by the end of the week, according to some forecast models.
We are expecting to get some Saharan dust coming up and there are also some wildfires across Portugal from which we could see some smoke also coming into the UK.
Alex Burkhill, Met Office meteorologist
There is a 30 per cent chance the all-time UK record of 38.5C will fall before the end of the week with a 60 per cent chance the July maximum of 36.7C will tumble, according to the Met Office.
Meteorologist Alex Burkill said: “It is going to get very hot as we go through the week with temperatures climbing day by day.
“We could see 35C on Wednesday and potentially 37C on Thursday although it could be even hotter with a chance we could beat the all-time UK record.
“This is most likely to happen somewhere across the south or the southeast.”
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Overnight temperatures are also likely to smash records with thermometers expected to hover around the 23C mark on Wednesday night.
Skies across Britain could be about to turn an eerie shade of red as Saharan dust is swept in with the hot air, Mr Burkill added.
He said: “We are expecting to get some Saharan dust coming up and there are also some wildfires across Portugal from which we could see some smoke also coming into the UK.
“There will be a continued risk of Saharan dust through to the end of the week, so there will be some pretty sunsets.
“There are signs of a cold front moving in on Friday which will bring temperatures down by around 10C so it will feel much fresher.”
The NHS released its top heatwave tips to the public which included drinking plenty of water and using high-factor sunscreen.
Hayfever and asthma sufferers have been advised to stay indoors as the temperatures soar.
HEATWAVES MORE LIKELY
Climate change is widely believed to make extreme weather events significantly more likely.
The Met Office found the heatwaves last summer were 30 times more likely to happen now than in 1750 because of the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
While most will be enjoying the good weather on the first days of the school holidays, England's most senior nurse has issued common sense advice.
This includes staying out of the midday sun and drinking lots of water to help prevent children and older people falling victim to the extreme heat.
Everyone can take simple steps to avoid fun in the sun turning in to a holiday in hospital.
Ruth May, Chief Nursing Officer
England's chief nurse Ruth May has urged people to check on their neighbours as a heatwave hits parts of the UK for the start of the school summer holidays, while Asthma UK urged sufferers to keep up their medication.
She said: “Everyone can take simple steps to avoid fun in the sun turning in to a holiday in hospital.
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“As millions of families kick off the long summer break, it’s really important to take common sense precautions and follow our NHS top tips like drinking plenty of water, using high-factor sunscreen and taking allergy medicine where it’s needed.
“The NHS will be there always for anyone who needs it, but everyone can help by checking in on vulnerable friends and neighbours, while making use of the free, convenient and helpful phone and online NHS services for minor illnesses, to help frontline staff provide care for those in emergency and serious need.”
“People should talk before they walk and join the hundreds of thousands getting fast and free advice on the best course of action for them from the nhs.uk website or 111 phone line.”
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Met Office weather video explains how we define a UK heatwave
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