High temperatures will see the mercury rise on both Saturday and Sunday with the hot and sunny weather here to stay for most of the UK as the weather maps turn a deep shade of red
This weekend the UK is set to bask in glorious sunny weather – with a total of 24 counties expected to hit at least 30C.
The mercury is set to rise on both Saturday and Sunday with the hot and sunny weather coming with health warnings for the elderly and the very young. The vast swathes of red on the weather charts show how hot the country will get, with most areas of the south east and central England, likely to see the highest temperatures.
Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Kent, Essex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Rutland, Warwickshire, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Shropshire and Cheshire are all predicted to hit 30C by 6pm on Saturday.
A yellow health warning, issued by the UK Health Security Agency is currently in place until Sunday evening, for most of the UK.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams said: “Many older and younger people will be looking forward to the warmer weather but, with much of the UK likely to be in heatwave conditions by the coming weekend, some older people will need to take extra care.
“The heat is expected to build during the week becoming hottest at the weekend and as temperatures rise those with long term health conditions impacting their heart, lungs or kidneys can be at extra risk.
“Generally, our bodies find it harder to adapt to more extreme temperatures as we age. Heat exhaustion, dehydration, and heat stroke can all worsen certain conditions increasing strain on the body, and some medications make us more susceptible to hot weather.
“At Age UK, we want older people to be able to enjoy the sunshine while taking care, so when the weather is really hot, it’s a good idea to take some simple precautions such as staying out of direct sunlight and drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. It is also worth doing any daily activities, such as going for a walk, shopping, or gardening before or after the hottest part of the day which is 11-3pm.”
Earlier this week the Met Office warned that higher temperatures, like those in 2022 which hit 40c, could be more common. Meteorologist say the country has a 50:50 chance of seeing temperatures soar back to an the dizzy heights of 40C again in the next 12 years.
The weather experts warned that temperatures of 45C or even more “may be possible” in today’s climate and they also predicted that heatwaves could go on for a month or more. They say the global modelling showed the risk of 40C temperatures in the UK has been rapidly increasing.
Dr Gillian Kay, senior scientist at the Met Office, and lead author of the study, said: “The chance of exceeding 40C has been rapidly increasing, and it is now over 20 times more likely than it was in the 1960s. Because our climate continues to warm, we can expect the chance to keep rising.
“We estimate a 50:50 chance of seeing a 40C day again in the next 12 years. We also found that temperatures several degrees higher than we saw in July 2022 are possible in today’s climate.”