The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning across large parts of the UK, including Greater Manchester, as a heatwave is set to bring extreme temperatures next week. Forecasters warn the heat could build to extremes of 38°C in parts of southern England by Wednesday (June 24) or Thursday (June 25). In Manchester, highs of 34°C and 35°C are forecast on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.
Warning Details and Timings
The warning for Greater Manchester is an extension of an amber alert issued for southern and eastern parts of England and Wales from Monday (June 22). It comes into effect for the North West at midnight on Wednesday, and remains in place until 11:59 PM on Thursday.
Forecasters warn in the alert: "Hot and humid weather is expected to continue through the middle of the week, with exceptionally warm temperatures both day and night." The Met Office said the extreme heat poses a risk of "population-wide adverse health effects", including "potential serious illness or danger to life".
Health Risks and Precautions
During the warning period, people in affected areas have been told to make "substantial changes to working practices and daily routines". Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree said: "The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record-breaking June temperatures and very high humidity. The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies."
"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."
Infrastructure and Travel Disruptions
There is also a risk of loss of power and other essential services, such as water, electricity, gas or mobile phone services during the heatwave, the Met Office warned. Delays on roads and road closures are also possible, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.
Health Alerts Across England
As well as the Met Office warning, health officials have also issued heat-health alerts across England. The whole of the country is covered by an alert, with amber warnings in place in southern areas and yellow warnings for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and The Humber.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: "Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults, and it is therefore important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun. We are urging health and social care services in affected regions to ensure they are prepared, and reminding people to look out for elderly relatives, neighbours, and those with underlying health conditions, making sure they are aware of the forecast and following the necessary advice."
Temperature Forecasts and Overnight Conditions
During the heatwave, temperatures are widely expected to exceed 30°C, the Met Office said, with the hottest areas potentially peaking around 38°C. Overnight, temperatures are unlikely to fall much lower than high teens, and some places will not fall below 20°C or 21°C. These high temperatures will also be accompanied by high humidity, forecasters added.
Safety Advice from the Met Office
The Met Office has urged people in areas affected by the warning to follow simple steps during this period: drink plenty of fluids; keep out of the sun and avoid any exercise between 11 AM and 3 PM when the sun is strongest; close curtains in rooms that face the sun; take water with you if you are going out; stay in the shade; and wear sunscreen and a wide brimmed hat.
Full List of Areas Affected by Amber Heat Warning
East Midlands: Derby, Derbyshire, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland.
East of England: Bedford, Cambridgeshire, Central Bedfordshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Luton, Norfolk, Peterborough, Southend-on-Sea, Suffolk, Thurrock.
London & South East England: Bracknell Forest, Brighton and Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Greater London, Hampshire, Kent, Medway, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
North West England: Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Greater Manchester, Halton, Lancashire, Merseyside, Warrington.
South West England: Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Plymouth, Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon, Torbay, Wiltshire.
Wales: Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Swansea, Torfaen, Vale of Glamorgan, Wrexham.
West Midlands: Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Warwickshire, West Midlands Conurbation, Worcestershire.
Yorkshire & Humber: East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire.
