Sunglasses, sun cream and umbrellas are out in full force today, as sweltering Brits continue to be gripped by blistering weather as the temperatures continue to soar.
Today has become the hottest day of the year so far with parts of eastern England set to be basking in sizzling temperatures of 34C.
But it’s not all sunshine and smiles as an amber heat-health alert has been issued for the whole weekend across England, as experts warn nearly 600 people in England and Wales could die in upcoming heatwaves.
Parts of England and Wales experienced heatwaves yesterday, while Northern Ireland its warmest June night on record with temperatures staying above 18.2C until Saturday morning, the Met Office said.
Elsewhere in London, terrified passengers were stuck in heatwave hell as customers said they felt like they were being ‘slow cooked’ in ‘an oven’ when services came to a halt with no air conditioning or ventilation.
Early this morning, large crowds gathered at Stonehenge for the annual summer solstice, with temperatures soaring 18C by 5am for those observing the annual spectacle.
But ice-cream and hot weather aren’t the only items on the menu, as stormy weather threatens to put a screeching halt to the sweltering sunshine with a yellow thunderstorm warning on the horizon.
Northern England, from Nottingham to above Newcastle, have been issued a yellow thunderstorm warning, which will come into force from 5pm until 3am tomorrow.
BRIGHTON: Hundreds of Brits set up on the beach as they enjoy their time in the sun
NORTH TYNESIDE: A couple basking in the summer heat which is gripping large parts of the country
NORTH TYNESIDE: Beachgoers site on deck chairs and play in the sand as they make the most of the heat
The Met Office warned the most intense storms could produce ‘frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds’, along with a chance of flooding.
Met Office spokeswoman Nicola Maxey said: ‘There are scattered thunderstorms coming through.
‘Some of the rain could be quite intense, and frequent lightning, hail, gusty winds and some heavy downpours, which we haven’t seen for a while.
‘Some of the ground is quite hard at the moment, and when you get heavy rain hitting hard ground, it can cause surface water issues.
‘You might find surface water on the roads, drains finding it difficult to cope and a small chance of homes being flooded.’
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
It comes after the Met Office confirmed that ‘many places’ in England and ‘one or two areas’ in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on Friday.
Aidan McGovern, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘At the moment, the temperatures will be highest towards the east, [with] lower temperatures in the west compared with Friday but still high humidity.
NORTH TYNESIDE: Two young women paddle boarding along the coast on Cullercoats Bay
BRIGHTON: Droves of Brits cool down in the sea amid the sweltering heat today
LONDON: Terrified passengers had to be freed from stuck ThamesLink trains by police and were forced to walk down the tracks in sizzling 34C heat
LONDON: The services reportedly came to a halt with ‘no air conditioning’ or ventilation. Passengers said they felt they were being ‘slow cooked’
‘So, it’s going to feel oppressive in many places, and [there is] always a chance of some showers developing as the day progresses, particularly towards the west.
‘Temperatures [will be] peaking at 31 to 33, or 34C, somewhere between London and Midlands and north-east England.’
There will also be very high UV and pollen levels across the country on Saturday, the forecaster said.
The Met Office also warned of more of heavy downpour battering parts of the country later this evening.
Ellie Glaisyer, meteorologist at the Met Office, said: ‘We do have a yellow warning in place for thunderstorms for the very far north of Wales, northern parts of England and in the very south east of Scotland.
‘That warning is in place from 5pm this evening until 3am tomorrow. We could see around 30 to 40mm of rain falling in a couple of hours as well as some strong winds.
‘These could be around 40 to 55 mph and some frequent lighting and large hail could be experienced in that warning area.
‘There is a chance we could see some heavier downpour elsewhere, particularly across the south east of England in the early hours of the morning and in the north west of the country.’
BRIGHTON: Thousands of beachgoers armed with umbrellas and sun-screen on the Sussex beach
BERKSHIRE: Two kayakers stop off at Whiitington’s Tea Barge to buy cans of beer on a hot and humid afternoon
BERKSHIRE: Three young people enjoy a humid afternoon in Forbury Gardens
London: Two men enjoying the soaring temperatures on Wimbledon Common as the heat gears up to 34C
BERKSHIRE: A man strolling around the town amid the sunshine today
The forecaster also added there could be ‘the odd rumble of thunder’ across the north and west of the country.
Ms Glaisyer added: ‘Generally tomorrow it’ll be a lot fresher with temperatures much closer to average.
‘The south east will still hold onto those warm temperatures for a little while longer and into next week.’
It comes as nearly 600 people in England and Wales are predicted to die as a result of this week’s heatwave, researchers found.
Experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London used decades of UK data to predict excess mortality during the hot temperatures from Thursday to Sunday.
Their study, released on last week, forecasts that around 570 people will die because of the heat over the four days, with the excess deaths estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense.
London is predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths with 129, as researchers say their assessment highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK.
A amber heat-health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, and is currently in force until 9am on Monday.
SALTBURN-BY-THE-SEA: Two young women enjoying yesteray’s blistering weather
NORTH TYNESIDE: Paddleboarders glide along the North Sea as beachgoers enjoy the heatwave on Friday
LONDON: Two young people sunbathing yesterday as the capital was gripped by soaring tempartures
LONDON: Two women stand in front of a fan as the temperatures reached unbearable heights yesterday
It warns ‘significant impacts are likely’ across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions.
Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously.
During 2022’s heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital.
Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: ‘Heat is no longer just a holiday perk – it’s a growing public health risk.
‘We’re seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities.
‘Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip.
‘While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.’
NOTTINGHAM: People on the boating lake at Highfields Park on June 20
LONDON: Two women walk in the sunshine at St James’s Park as the heat continued on June 19
Recently, the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group released a study which found 32C temperatures this week were made 100 times more likely and 2-4C hotter due to climate change.
Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said: ‘Heatwaves are silent killers – people who lose their lives in them typically have pre-existing health conditions and rarely have heat listed as a contributing cause of death.
‘This real-time analysis reveals the hidden toll of heatwaves and we want it to help raise the alarm.
‘Heatwaves are an underappreciated threat in the UK and they’re becoming more dangerous with climate change.’
It comes after temperatures reached 32.2C in Kew, west London, on Thursday, making it the warmest day of the year so far, while Friday saw highs of 30.8C recorded in both England and Wales.
