Exact date UK will see hottest day of the year so far with scorching 33C highs
In a sizzling revelation from the Met Office, the UK is about to bask in the hottest day of the year so far.
The September heatwave is predicted to reach its zenith on Saturday, with temperatures soaring as high as 33C in London. This scorching forecast could potentially outshine the previous record set in June at 32.2C, making it the hottest day of the year. However, those further north can expect cooler climes. In response to this, the UK Health Security Agency has issued an amber warning for heat until Sunday evening at 9pm.
The health service is bracing for the impact of this heatwave, with individuals aged above 65 or those with pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular diseases being at greater risk. While September has seen such high temperatures before, it's unusual for the heat to persist for such an extended period. The Met Office predicts five to six days of temperatures exceeding 30C in some areas.
People enjoying the warm weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset (PA)There's also a possibility of experiencing tropical nights in the south, defined by temperatures over 20C. Wednesday and Thursday night are threatening to shatter the September nighttime record of 21.7C. This heatwave is fuelled by tropical storms pushing a high-pressure system over the UK, with the jet stream having shifted north and bending into what meteorologists refer to as an omega blocking pattern.
Named after the Greek letter omega due to its shape, this weather phenomenon occurs when an area of high pressure gets trapped between two areas of low-pressure to the west and east, and slightly south. Spain and Greece are grappling with torrential rain and flooding while the UK and central Europe bask in hot, dry, and clear conditions.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
The Met Office weather map for Thursday (Met Office)Neil Armstrong, Met Office's chief meteorologist, attributed this unusual pattern to an active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic. He explained: "An active tropical cyclone season in the North Atlantic has helped to amplify the pattern across the North Atlantic, pushing the jet stream well to the north of the UK, allowing some very warm air to be drawn north."
Armstrong noted that this is a stark contrast to much of the meteorological summer when the UK was on the northern side of the jet stream, resulting in cooler air and more unsettled weather. According to the Met Office, a heatwave is defined as three consecutive days of a particular region exceeding a given threshold, which varies around the UK. For Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, and northern England, the threshold is 25C; for Somerset, Hampshire, and the Welsh Borders, it's 26C; the south coast, East Anglia, and the East Midlands have a threshold of 27C; and for London and the home counties, the bar is set at 28C.
People enjoy being out on the river Cam in Cambridge (James Linsell-Clark / SWNS)The Met Office warned that as the climate continues to warm due to rising greenhouse gases, these hot spells will become more frequent and severe. By 2070, temperatures reaching 30C for two or more days will become more likely, with southern parts of the UK projected to experience this 16 times more frequently than on 06, Sep 2023.
Adding to the alarming statistics, US-based non-profit Climate Central calculated that the UK's heatwave has been made five times more likely by climate change. Scientists have announced that the Earth has just endured its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever recorded, marking yet another heat record in an increasingly alarming trend, as reported by the World Meteorological Organisation on Wednesday.
Yasmin ,7, with brother Nathan ,5, cooling off at Centenary Square Fountain, Birmingham (SWNS)Not only was it the hottest August ever documented, but it also came in as the second hottest month ever measured, falling just behind July. The global temperature last month soared 1.5C higher than the pre-industrial average. However, this doesn't signify a breach of the Paris Agreement target, which refers to a decades-long average.
Last month also witnessed the highest global sea temperatures ever recorded, with an average of a sweltering 21C. Dr Friederike Otto of Imperial College London, and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, didn't mince words when she said: "This week's heat in the UK has been made hotter by climate change that is the result of human activities like burning coal and other fossil fuels." She added a chilling warning: "This is now the case for every heatwave, everywhere in the world. Until net greenhouse gas emissions end, heatwaves in the UK and elsewhere will continue to become hotter and more dangerous."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up The Mirror's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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