Sweltering temperatures hit the capital this week before cooler conditions are expected to move in
Temperatures in London are set to cool a little after soaring to as high as 34C this week when the fourth heatwave of the summer reached its peak.
The capital started the week with bright sunshine and sweltering highs as the mercury reached 30C on Tuesday. Wednesday saw temperatures reaching their peak of 34C, according to the Met Office.
But forecasters said cooler conditions are on the way, with highs of 27C expected on Thursday. Temperatures are expected to settle at around 25C over the weekend, before climbing to 27C again early next week.
An amber heat alert was in place for the city from Wednesday morning, with health bosses warning of increased risks for vulnerable people because of the extreme heat. The alert ended at 9am on Thursday.
London Fire Brigade (LFB) also said it had attended more than 1,300 incidents, including grass fires and a person rescued from the Thames, over the weekend as a result of the heat.
The service said it handled 2,729 emergency calls between Friday and Sunday, and firefighters attended 1,345 incidents across the capital, including a grass fire which destroyed 10 acres in Rainham, a hectare of grassland alight in Croydon, and blazes at flats, homes, sheds, a bakery and a storage unit. The Brigade’s fire boat crews also rescued a person in the Thames near Battersea Pier.
Forecasters said the summery weather will continue into the weekend, but temperatures will ease a little to around 26C.
The UKHSA said: “The existing yellow heat-health alert for the East Midlands, East of England, South East and London has been upgraded to amber and will be in place from 9am on Wednesday 29 July until 9am on Thursday 30 July.
“A yellow heat-health alert will remain in place for Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands and South West regions for the same time period.
“There is no alert in place for the North East and North West regions.”
It comes after England marked the hottest June on record and the second-warmest in Wales, with a new record temperature provisionally set in Lingwood in Norfolk as the mercury climbed to 37.7C.
It is the fourth time this summer that temperatures have soared to heatwave levels, with record-breaking temperatures for the month in both May and June and another significant hot spell in mid-July.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Gregory Wolverson said: “This is a short-lived spell of heat, but temperatures will climb quickly through the first half of the week, particularly in the South East.
“By Wednesday, some areas could see temperatures in the mid-30Cs, and while the heat will not be widespread across the whole of the UK, it will be enough for parts of the South East to likely meet official heatwave criteria by Thursday.
“Elsewhere, the weather will be more changeable, and the change to cooler, more unsettled conditions will arrive sooner from the north and west, with a mix of sunshine and showers.
“Across northern areas, it is possible there will be heavier showers with a small risk of isolated thunderstorms through the week.”
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