Summary

Hot and humid weather ahead across the UK

Live Reporting

Edited by Alex Smith and Neha Gohil

  1. What can London learn from Seville on heatwaves?

    Tom Edwards
    Environment correspondent

    A cyclist in the streets of Seville, with a temperature sign showing 46 degrees on the pavementGetty Images

    As London faces more extreme heat, is there anything it could learn from Seville - one of the hottest cities in Europe, with the temperatures becoming more severe?

    Dr Mehri Khosravi, a heat expert at the University of East London, says Londoners need to change their attitude to extreme heat, and we can learn from our continental neighbours.

    "We need to adapt in terms of building design. But we need to adapt our behaviour especially in the UK where the culture of heat is missing," she says.

    "People in the UK treat heat as a nice thing - they arrange BBQs and leisure activities but we need to start treating as a risk like they do in other countries."

    She cites measures other countries take such as pausing some activities in the hottest hours of the day, closing windows and shutting curtains to keep the heat out, and using night time for ventilation.

  3. England's heat health alerts to continue until tomorrow evening

    Sabitha Prasher
    BBC Weather

    A woman walking her dog on Tooting Bec Common in LondonPA Media

    These amber heat health alerts that just came into effect stretch across the Midlands, East Anglia, London and South East England from 09:00 BST today until 18:00 tomorrow.

    Those yellow alerts for North East England, North West England, Yorkshire, Humber and South West England are in place for that same period, too.

    Elsewhere, temperatures across Scotland and Northern Ireland could reach 23-26C today, maybe up to 28C in eastern Scotland and the Borders.

    For some parts of England and Wales, today is the peak of this week's heat and the third day of temperatures reaching heatwave criteria, with some locations expected to reach 34C.

    Other parts of the UK will meet their heatwave thresholds on Wednesday although it will be a little cooler for some spots.

    The heat will ease for most on Thursday as thunderstorms roll in, bringing less humid air into Friday.

  4. Heat health alerts in effect for England

    The UK Health Security Agency has issued heat health alerts for all of England - which have just come into effect and last until tomorrow evening.

    Amber alerts are in place for London, the South East, East of England, East Midlands and West Midlands.

    While the North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and the South West are under a yellow alert.

    These alerts are a sort of early warning system for health and social care professionals who are in the frontline when it comes to dealing with heat-related health risks, especially for vulnerable people. Starting at yellow, the alerts can be escalated to amber or the most severe, red.

    We have some tips and advice on how to keep cool in a heatwave, including avoiding being too active or in direct sun between 11am and 3pm when the heat is at its peak, making sure you're hydrated, keeping windows in the sunshine closed and using fans correctly to circulate cooler air.

    Graphic showing what the adverse weather health alert levels mean in the UK. Green: No alert as conditions are likely to have minimal impact on heath. Yellow: adverse weather likely to affect vulnerable groups. Amber: Conditions could affect whole population and the NHS. Travel disruption likely. Red: Significant risk to life. Threat to critical infrastructure.
  5. Analysis

    Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent and intense

    Justin Rowlatt
    Climate editor

    A woman wipes her face amid a heatwave, while she is sat on a wooden bench and wearing a blue peaked capEPA

    Get used to the kind of heat you will be experiencing today because climate change is making heatwaves both more frequent and more intense.

    That’s not just true here in the UK, but all around the world.

    The emissions created when we burn fossil fuels and cut down forests, together with the other greenhouse gases we release, are trapped in the atmosphere where they act like a blanket around the Earth, warming it up.

    Scientists say virtually every heatwave will have been made hotter, longer and more dangerous because of this human-caused climate change.

    At the same time, our cities also tend to concentrate heat, which can worsen the impact of heatwaves in urban areas.

    Dark surfaces like roads and buildings absorb and retain more heat and can increase temperatures by as much as 3 degrees Celsius.

  6. Watch: A hot and sunny forecast for much of the country

    With temperatures in parts of England set to get up to 34C, here's weather presenter Carol Kirkwood with the latest weather forecast for the day:

  7. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke - signs you're overheating

    During hot weather, it’s easy to overheat, which can sometimes lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

    Heat exhaustion isn’t usually serious as long as you can cool down. But heatstroke is a medical emergency and needs immediate treatment.

    Older adults, young children and people with long-term health conditions are especially at risk.

    Here are the symptoms to watch out for:

    Graphic showing symptoms of heat exhaustion (feeling dizzy, excessive sweating, clammy skin, nausea or vomiting, muscle cramps) and heatstroke (feeling confused, no sweating, temperature over 40C, hot, dry skin, Nausea or vomiting, may lose consciousness or experience convulsions or seizures)

  8. How can you stay safe during hot weather?

    • Stay indoors between 11:00-15:00 BST (these tend to be the hottest hours of the day)
    • When outdoors, wear sunscreen and other protective clothing like hats or sunglasses
    • Shutting windows or curtains that face the sun can help keep your home cool – for the experimental, try out one university lecturer's method of smearing yoghurt on the outside of windows
    • Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids and limiting the amount of alcohol you consume
    • Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke – and seek medical attention if you think you need it

  9. Is it too hot to work (legally speaking)?

    Woman stands in a professional kitchen, with her head raised against her head to wipe sweat from her foreheadGetty Images

    It may well feel unfair to have to go to work in extreme heat - but it isn't illegal.

    There's no law setting a maximum working temperature, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety.

    But employers must follow health and safety at work law, which includes:

    • Keeping the temperature at a comfortable level
    • Providing clean and fresh air

    Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations, employers must:

    • Assess the risks to workers
    • Put controls in place to protect them

    Heat is classed as a hazard and comes with legal obligations like any other hazard. Workers are entitled to an environment where risks to their health and safety are properly controlled.

  10. People are becoming better at adapting to hot weather - UKHSA consultant

    A woman walks along the waterside in Hyde Park shaded by an umbrellaPA Media

    Dr Paul Coleman, consultant in public health at the UK Health Security Agency, which issued today's heat alerts, has been speaking to the BBC.

    He says climate projections show that in future years, the UK can expect to see longer and hotter summers, but there are already signs that people are becoming more aware of the dangers.

    "I think the really reassuring thing is that it does seem to be that people are adapting better to it," he tells the BBC.

    "While I think we will see more of it in the future, it seems that people are making the right decisions in protecting themselves from the impacts of hot weather."

    The UKHSA says it's important to take precautions during periods of hot weather, particularly those who are vulnerable.

    For more information on heat alerts, check out the UKHSA's website.

  12. Which parts of England are in drought?

    It has been the driest start to a year in England since 1976, with much of the country in a state of drought.

    Here are the affected areas, mapped by the Environment Agency:

    Drought

    • Cumbria & Lancashire
    • Greater Manchester Merseyside & Cheshire
    • Yorkshire
    • East Midlands
    • West Midlands

    Areas in prolonged dry weather

    • North East
    • Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
    • East Anglia
    • Thames
    • Wessex
    • Solent and South Downs

    South East Water, Southern Water, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water have all introduced hosepipe bans this summer due to a lack of rain and increased demand for water during extended spells of warm weather.

    These hosepipe bans, also called Temporary Use Bans, are impacting 8.5 million households.

  13. ‘Nationally significant incident’ over water shortfall

    Mark Poynting
    Climate reporter

    The Environment Agency says that the current shortfall of water across England now qualifies as a “nationally significant incident”.

    The term reflects the impacts on the environment, such as river and reservoir levels.

    It is also based on the number of areas impacted, with most of the country in a state of drought or prolonged dry weather – the category below drought.

    It follows England’s driest spring – March, April and May – for more than 100 years, according to the Met Office.

    July rainfall was close to average, albeit with some variability across the country.

    That has helped to ensure no new regions have entered a status of drought since the Midlands on 15 July.

  14. Watch: Flames near Madrid as wildfires burn across Spain and Portugal

    Emergency crews have been battling multiple wildfires across Spain and Portugal, as a heatwave hits Europe.

    Firefighters worked through the night on Monday in an effort to contain a blaze burning in the municipality of Tres Cantos, located 23km north of Madrid.

  15. Southern Europe in grip of heatwave with wildfires flaring across the continent

    Three men stand in front of a blazing wildfire in PortugalGetty Images

    Nearly 700 firefighters have been tackling wildfires in Portugal since the weekend

    The UK isn't alone in sizzling under a heatwave this week - parts of southern Europe are sweltering too as temperatures pass into the 40Cs.

    In Italy, a young boy died of heatstroke on Monday, after being found unconscious in his family's car in Sardinia.

    And across the country, 11 cities have been given a "level three" risk warning for today by the Italian health ministry. This means that in major cities like Bologna and Milan, "emergency conditions" are in place and residents are warned to avoid exposure to the sun between 11:00 and 18:00 - the hottest parts of the day.

    Meanwhile in northern Spain, firefighters have been grappling with a fire near a Unesco-listed national park, with high temperatures and strong winds forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate.

    Over the weekend, Trancoso in Portugal has also seen a huge blaze, with more than 650 firefighters and six aircraft tackling wildfires, according to AFP news agency.

  16. Significant rise in the number of very hot days

    Mark Poynting
    Climate reporter

    A man reclines in a sun chair in a park, reading a bookEPA

    It can be easy to forget just how quickly the UK’s climate is changing.

    Days exceeding 30C – known as “very hot” days by the Met Office - might feel normal, but they used to be much rarer.

    During the last decade, the number of these “very hot” days more than trebled compared with the 1961-1990 average, according to the Met Office.

    It’s well established that human-caused climate change is making hot weather more likely and more intense.

    As humans burn coal, oil and gas and cut down forests, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere.

    These gases act like a blanket, heating up the planet.

  17. What the heat alerts mean and how long are they in place for?

    The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued heat health warnings for all of England, which start from 09:00 BST today and are due to end at 18:00 on Wednesday.

    Amber alerts for some:

    Alerts in the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London and the South East have been upgraded to amber, from 09:00 BST today to 18:00 on Wednesday.

    Yellow alerts for the rest:

    The South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, North West and North East have yellow warnings in place over the same period.

    The UKHSA has warned of significant impacts across health and social care services due to the high temperatures.

    It also warns of the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among the over-65s and those with health conditions.

  18. Highs of 34C predicted as the UK enters another hot period

    Health alerts have been issued across large areas of England, as the UK braces for another sizzling week.

    Highs of up to 34C are forecast for some parts, with most of the country due for temperatures of between 24 and 30C.

    A patchwork of yellow and amber alerts has been issued, meaning possible travel disruption and increased demand on health services - but more on this shortly.

    We will be keeping tabs on the latest temperatures and alerts across the day. Keep cool and stay with us.