Heatwave could trigger thunderstorms over Sussex at weekend

The Met office says that high pressure is continuing to bring a spell of fine, dry, sunny and warm weather to the vast majority of the UK into the weekend. Paul Gundersen, Met Office Chief Meteorologist, said: “For the first time this year, we have seen temperatures very locally top 30degC, with 30.1degC on Monday. “However, we are anticipating that temperatures will increase further over the next couple of days and remain high by the weekend: it’s possible that some locations could reach 32degC. “The focus for the highest temperatures is expected to shift towards the west of the UK into the middle of the week, and then north-west, before temperatures potentially begin to hot up again in the south over the weekend.” By the weekend, especially on Sunday, there is some indication that a spell of thundery weather could move in from the Continent to affect some southern areas of the UK. But, Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Harris added: “There is currently a high level of uncertainty in the forecast over the weekend; we are still several days away and the signals from the various models could easily switch back towards a more settled story in the south as we get closer to the time. “Confidence is low, but there is an increasing chance that humid weather with thunderstorms could affect the south in particular, and perhaps more generally early next week, before a most probable return to fresher, more changeable weather.” Health warning The prospect of continued high temperatures has seen the publication of a Level 2 heat-health watch warning for parts of England. UV levels will be high or very high during this warm and sunny spell, so people should take care when outside enjoying the weather. Dr Thomas Waite of PHE said: “We know that when weather like this hits many people will head outdoors and make the most of the sunshine – but for others high temperatures, over more than a day or two, can be really uncomfortable and pose a significant risk to health. This is because their bodies may struggle to adapt to working harder, as all our bodies do when the weather gets this hot, and they can become ill. “It’s vitally important that we keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk. “For others the best thing to do is avoid the sun during the hottest parts of the day, carry water with you when travelling and if going out to large events, and we know lots of people will be watching football this week: think what you can do stay cool. It’s also worth remembering to think about keeping homes cool as this can aid sleeping at night and give the body time to recover from the heat of the day.” The UK June temperature record is 35.6degC, recorded at Camden Square on 29 June 1957 and Southampton on 28 June 1976. Looking at the longer-term outlook, Dan Harris said: “Following the potential thundery weather at the turn of the month, we may see a period of more changeable weather, July as a whole still looks most likely to see a good deal of dry and fine weather, with warmer and drier than average conditions.” How to stay safe in a heatwave as UK temperatures continue to climb The laws your employer needs to follow in a heatwave – and what else they can do to help How to keep your dog safe during the UK heatwave