Temperatures will climb to a record-breaking 38C next week as a ‘heat dome’ is set to hit Britain, with the Met Office issuing a new four-day Amber warning for extreme heat.
Highs of 38C have now been forecast for Wednesday and Thursday in London by the national weather service – breaking June’s highest ever recorded temperature of a blistering 35.6C in Southampton in 1976 and Camden Square in 1957.
Amber extreme heat warnings have also been put in place from Monday until Thursday across much of southern England and Wales, the East and West Midlands, the South West and South East England, as well as the East of England.
The heat is expected to remain sweltering overnight throughout next week, as tropical nights are predicted in areas where temperatures remain above 20C.
Dew points – indicative of the air’s humidity – are also forecast to be around 22C on Wednesday and Thursday. This surpasses the record-breaking July 2022 heatwave, when dew points did not reach above single figures.
The alert has flagged potential health impacts for people vulnerable to extreme heat and heat-related issues for the wider population, as well as a possible increase in water safety incidents.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster, Tom Crabtree, said the heatwave is ‘developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record breaking June temperatures and very high humidity.’
Mr Crabtree said: ‘The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.
Temperatures will climb to a record-breaking 38C next week as a ‘heat dome’ is set to hit Britain (Pictured: Crowds in Richmond, London, amid the heatwave)
The Met Office issuing a new four-day Amber warning for extreme heat
Highs of 38C have been forecast for Wednesday and Thursday in London, with Birmingham also set to reach 37C
‘As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20°C, which is called a Tropical Night.
‘This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.’
The scorching temperatures will also coincide with rising pollen levels across the country next week, with the Met Office predicting ‘very high’ counts from Sunday.
Pollen levels in London, southern England, the West Midlands, East Midlands, the North West and Wales will remain at the highest level from Sunday to Thursday, while a ‘high’ warning is in place for Yorkshire and the North East for most of next week.
In Britain, one in four adults and one in eight children suffer from hay fever – also known as allergic rhinitis – according to Allergy UK, with the symptoms often worsening during the hot summer months.
On Sunday, NHS England confirmed visits to their website for hay fever advice has doubled amid the scorching temperatures, citing sneezing, coughing, a runny nose, as well as red, itchy, or watery eyes as among the most common symptoms.
The service said they recorded 12,990 visits to their NHS hay fever page from June 14 to 17 – when temperatures began to escalate – compared to 5,632 visits the previous week, totalling a rise of 131 per cent.
Duncan Burton, Chief Nursing Officer for England, said the warm weather can increase pollen levels that might cause ‘discomfort for hay fever sufferers’.
Pollen levels in London, southern England, the West Midlands, East Midlands, the North West and Wales will remain at the highest level from Sunday to Thursday
People sit in the shade during a hot day four of Royal Ascot at the Berkshire racecourse on Friday
Mr Burton said: ‘Most people will be able to manage their symptoms with medication that is available off the shelf from community pharmacies and supermarkets, and the NHS website has more advice on how to deal with the discomfort.’
However, he warned: ‘People should be careful not to double dose on medication which might make them drowsy particularly if planning to drive.’
And as the heatwave continues to take over Britain, many hay fever sufferers have taken to social media to document how uncomfortable their symptoms can be during the hot weather.
One TikTok user made a video saying: ‘I don’t think people realise how much hay fever actually ruins your quality of life in the summer.
‘My eyes are squinted, tissue in hand, my nose won’t stop running – I’ve gone through about two packs of tissues today already and it’s not even lunchtime.
‘I am just fed up, to be honest.’
The video – which was posted last week – was met with agreeing comments. One user said ‘It’s awful,’ while another added: ‘I was literally bedridden all weekend & couldn’t breathe it was sooo bad.’
Amid the rising temperatures, the Met Office has recommended that hay fever sufferers ‘plan ahead and take a few simple precautions’ on days that pollen levels are predicted to be particularly high.
The agency advices hay fever sufferers to treat early symptoms using antihistamines to prevent a full flare-up, and to use corticosteroid nasal sprays to help itchy red eyes, a runny nose, swollen sinuses and sneezing.
It also suggests taking practical steps to minimise exposure, such as removing outdoor clothing and shower or wash your hair after high pollen exposure, keeping windows shut at night and avoiding keeping flowers in your home.
