With temperatures expected to reach 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) today afternoon, sunseekers are flocking to the UK’s beaches and parks ahead of one of the country’s longest heatwaves in years.
The temperature is predicted to reach 28 degrees Celsius (82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south east today afternoon, with Britons likely to spend their weekends relaxing on beaches and green spaces across England and Wales to take advantage of the start of a hot spell for the UK.
This weather is warmer than popular tourist destinations like Mykonos, where the temperature was 23C (73.4F), and Split, where it was 24C (75F).
But Saturday’s hot and bright weather is just the beginning, with temperatures rising day by day until we hit a high of 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday and Tuesday.
With one of the longest spells of scorching weather approaching, the NHS Sheffield Foundations Trust has cautioned parents in the UK not to allow their children run around in the sun, and to keep clothes light if they must be exposed.
On Saturday, people enjoyed the weather throughout the UK’s coastlines and parks, as well as festival goers who attended the TRNSMT Festival on Glasgow Green in Scotland, which began yesterday and finishes on Sunday.
‘Make sure your children drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. Remember drinking little and often is best,’ they wrote in a thread on Twitter.
‘Don’t allow your children to stay in the sun for long periods – and never leave them in a car on a hot day. Resting in the shade and finding cool places is important. When they are in the sun, children should wear light clothing that covers as much of their skin as possible.
‘Even if they’re covered up, make sure they’re covered in a high factor sun cream.’
They also identified the first signs of a child who is overheating, becoming grumpy or complain of a headache, adding that if this happens, they should be brought into a shaded place which is as cool as possible: ‘Remove any clothing you can, give them water to drink and get them to rest.’
The UK Health Security Agency issued a Level 3 heat-health notice yesterday, warning of the impending heatwave, up from the previous Level 2 alert. The new warning will be in effect from 9 a.m. next Monday until 9 a.m. next Friday.
The Level 3 notice includes the East of England, the South East, and London, and encourages Britons to ‘be on the lookout for others, particularly elderly individuals, small children and newborns, and those with underlying health concerns.’
Forecasts suggest that the UV level will be high to extremely high for many across the UK. On this beautiful Saturday afternoon, Exeter, Cambourne, Newtown, Peterborough, Dover, Birmingham, and London had a UV index of 8, the highest in the UK.
Manchester, Dumfries, Caernarfon, Newcastle Upon Tyne, York, and Edinburgh are among the UK cities having a UV index of 8 or above on Saturday.
The Met Office tweeted on the weather this weekend: ‘It’s going to be a very warm weekend for many. The sun is strong so remember the sun cream.’
In light of the heatwave, the RSPCA has issued the following caution to dog owners: ‘Dogs lose heat through panting, can only sweat through their paws, and are at severe danger of heatstroke.’
They advise the best ways to keep dogs cool in the heat are to give them shade and drink, take them for walks early in the morning or late in the evening, put pet-safe sunscreen on their ear tips and nose, and never leave a pet in a vehicle, caravan, conservatory, or outbuildings in hot weather.
It also urges people to ‘close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors’, and ‘drink plenty of fluids and avoid excess alcohol, dress appropriately for the weather and slow down when it is hot’. Level 3 is defined as ‘heatwave action’; Level 2 is ‘alert and readiness’.
Red Cross climate manager Maarten van Aalst said that sports days at schools on the final week of term may have to be rearranged, adding that parents should try to keep children ‘in a cool spot’ like a forest or pool, he told the Telegraph.
Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told MailOnline that the usual advice for heatwaves apply, with the sun being its strongest between 11am and 3pm, avoid the sunshine – both children and adults. He added that it’s best to drink lots of water and to stay inside instead of outside during the peak heat of the day.
The high pressure dominating much of the UK will see plenty of sunshine at many parts of the weekend, with bits of cloud in Northern Ireland and Scotland, he added.
‘It looks like that pressure holds on early next week,’ he said. ‘It may start to come down Tuesday and Wednesday, where temperatures will lower and there will be a rest bite later in the week.
‘Very similar to today’s 28C (82.4F), tomorrow will see lots of sunshine across the UK with temperatures up to around 30C (86F) as a maximum.’
After this weekend, Monday could see temperatures go as high as 32C (89.6F) in parts of the south and south east of England, 33C (91.4F) on Tuesday, and 31C (87.8F) on Wednesday.