LONDON — Britain is facing another spell of extreme heat as temperatures climb across southern and eastern England, with the Met Office warning of potentially hazardous conditions before thunderstorms and cooler weather bring the latest heatwave to an end.
Temperatures reached a provisional 38.1°C at Kew Gardens in London, making Wednesday the fifth-hottest day ever recorded in the United Kingdom, according to the Met Office. Its latest national forecast said the current heatwave would peak on Friday, Aug. 14, before increasingly unsettled conditions spread across parts of the country.
The latest episode is the fifth heatwave Britain has experienced this year, according to Reuters, underscoring a summer marked by repeated periods of unusually high temperatures. The Met Office had previously forecast temperatures of up to 36°C in East Anglia and southeast England as the heat intensified during the week.
Health authorities have warned that prolonged heat can pose risks, particularly to vulnerable people. The UK Health Security Agency and Met Office operate a joint Heat-Health Alert system for England, with amber alerts indicating that heat-related impacts may affect the wider population and require an enhanced response from health services.
The heat is also aggravating broader pressures caused by unusually dry conditions. Almost three-quarters of England was officially classified as being in drought as of Aug. 10, while the government said around 45 million people lived in drought-affected areas and 27 million faced water-use restrictions.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham was due to chair an emergency government meeting on Wednesday to address the combined effects of heatwaves, drought and wildfires. Fire services had responded to hundreds of wildfires across England and Wales this year, while farmers have faced worsening conditions because of prolonged dryness.
The Met Office said the immediate outlook was for a thundery end to the heatwave, with rain and thunderstorms expected to develop as the hottest conditions ease. Its longer-range outlook has indicated that temperatures could remain above normal during parts of August, with further hot spells possible, particularly in southern Britain.
As of Friday, the current heatwave was forecast to give way to more changeable weather, while authorities continued to monitor health, water and wildfire risks.
