The United Kingdom's Met Office warned that there is a possibility that 30-degree Celsius temperatures will last for several days in the region, a record period.
The forecaster added that Thursday was the region's hottest day of the year, with a recorded 32.6-degree Celsius temperature in Wisley, Surrey. The highest temperature before that was set in June and recorded at 32.2 degrees Celsius.
UK Heat Wave
The heat wave in the UK has already broken the record for the most consecutive days, with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius in September. Saharan dust generated vivid sunsets and sunrises in the clear conditions within the region.
The temperature recorded on Thursday made it the fourth day it hit above 30 degrees Celsius. It beat the record of three days seen on four previous occasions, most recently in 2016, per the Independent.
In a statement, Met Office meteorologist Simon Partridge said that observing 30 degrees Celsius until Sunday would mark six days of reaching that milestone temperature. He said there were only three days of such temperatures last September.
Partridge noted that while the current temperatures are not yet the hottest conditions observed since September, the period has been twice as long as previously seen. In South Yorkshire, the highest daily temperature in September was recorded as 35.6 degrees Celsius on Sept. 2, 1906.
However, the meteorologist added that there was no chance that the September daily temperature record would be broken in the following days. He noted that it might get warmer over the weekend but would not increase significantly. However, Partridge said it would be the warmest day of the year.
Several other areas in the UK recorded temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius on Thursday. According to BBC, BBC Weather forecaster Gareth Harvey added that the southeast of England could experience 33 degrees Celsius and that the heat is expected to last into Friday and a little bit over the weekend.
Rising Temperatures
Harvey said that southeast England could experience 31 degrees Celsius on Sunday, adding that it would be relatively cooler further north. He noted that much of Scotland and Northern Ireland will have temperatures in the low 20s.
The forecaster also said there is a growing possibility of some thundery showers in the north and west this coming weekend. This is because winds switch to a south-westerly direction, pulling in cooler, fresher air from the Atlantic.
Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said that high pressure was located to the southeast of the UK, creating more settled conditions and temperatures above the average for this time of the year.
He added that while the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heat wave conditions will likely be experienced across much of England and Wales. The situation also comes as the UK Health Security Agency issued an amber warning for heat until Sunday at 9:00 p.m., said Yahoo News.
