London weather latest: Firefighters issue warning as London set to swelter in 34C heat today

The Met Office said London and potentially some spots in East Anglia are most likely to reach the 34C high, making it the hottest day of the year so far
Catherine Wylie17 June 2022

Parts of the UK are expected to sizzle in temperatures of 34C (93.2F) as the hot spell of weather reaches its sweltering peak on Friday.

The Met Office said London and potentially some spots in East Anglia are most likely to reach the 34C high, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

Away from the capital and the South East, 27-30C is expected across most of England and Wales.

Highs of 26.1C (78.98F) were recorded in Cardiff, 21.4C (70.52F) was recorded in Edinburgh and 20.6C (69.08F) was recorded in Derrylin in Northern Ireland on Thursday.

While England and Wales will bask in the heat on Friday, it will be cooler in Northern Ireland and Scotland which will both be affected by rain.

Meanwhile, firefighters are warning that there is an increased risk of fires due to the heatwave.

A sign is displayed in South Kensington tube station, central London (James Manning/PA)
PA Wire

London Fire Brigade (LFB) said it has already attended more than 1,430 grass and open land fires across the city this year.

This includes grassland, canal and riverbank vegetation, scrubland, parks, playgrounds, crops and woodland.

Around 350 of these were in domestic gardens and LFB said that with prolonged periods of hot weather, there is a concern these numbers will rise.

In the last five years, London’s firefighters have attended almost 600 fires involving barbecues, 45 of which were on private balconies.

People enjoy the hot weather as they punt along the River Cam in Cambridge (Joe Giddens/PA)
PA Wire

The Brigade’s assistant commissioner for fire safety, Charlie Pugsley, said: “We want people to enjoy the glorious weather and do so safely.

“Barbecuing on dry grass is reckless and can easily cause a really serious fire – damaging the immediate area and risking nearby properties.

“We’re also urging people to think twice about having barbecues on balconies.

“It’s easier than you might think for a balcony fire to spread to others, which could not only leave you homeless but displace hundreds of your neighbours too.

“We’re not trying to take the fun out of the heatwave, but for the sake of our city – and of our firefighters who have to work in sweltering temperatures to tackle these blazes – we’d really like people to take our advice on board.

A racegoer uses a fan to stay cool during day three of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse (Aaron Chown/PA)
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“We’re asking the public to remain vigilant and call 999 as soon as they see any signs of smouldering grass.”

Firefighters are also warning residents not to risk their safety for a cooling swim.

In the last five years, crews have attended almost 300 reports of a person in water or at immediate risk of entering water.

The LFB said there were nine accidental drownings in London last year, making it the joint third highest in the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have issued a Level 3 Heat-Health alert for London, the East of England and the South East.

A man sunbathes as he enjoys the hot weather on Bridlington beach in Yorkshire (Danny Lawson/PA)
PA Wire

This alert follows the Level 2 alert issued on Tuesday and confirms that the Met Office’s threshold temperatures for an alert will be reached in three regions from Friday.

A Level 2 alert remains in place for the East Midlands and South West.

The Met Office warned that there may be difficult sleeping conditions on Thursday night, with temperatures expected to stay between mid and high teens.

Forecasters said that it would be termed a tropical night if nowhere drops below 20C (68F).

Britain’s highest recorded June UK temperature was 35.6C at Southampton Mayflower Park in June 1976 – and forecasters do not expect that high to be surpassed this week.

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