The Met Office has confirmed a heatwave in parts of the UK after days of high temperatures. In order to meet the threshold for a heatwave, temperatures must be above a certain temperature for three consecutive days and some parts of the country have today (June 13) met this benchmark.
Posting to Twitter, the Met Office said: "Some places across the UK have exceeded the heatwave threshold."
Despite the South West experiencing warm temperatures for several weeks, the temperature has not quite exceeded the heatwave threshold for more than three days, so by the Met Offices' definition, we are not experiencing a heatwave. While it is still hot, however, with temperatures forecast to reach 30C, Bristol is not forecast to exceed it's heatwave threshold this week.
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London, the Midlands, and the North West have hit their thresholds for three days, and so the Met Office has confirmed they are undergoing a heatwave. The baseline temperatures vary by region - here in the Bristol, the mercury needs to hit 27C for three days before a heatwave is called, while Devon only needs to reach 25C.
The Met Office says: "A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the heatwave temperature threshold.
"The geographical differences reflect the differences in climate across the UK. The threshold temperatures have been calculated using the 1991-2020 climatology of daily maximum temperature at the mid-point of the meteorological summer (15 July)."
The whole of England is currently under a yellow heat health warning from the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). This warns of an increased risk to the health and social care sectors, as well as vulnerable people, because of the heat. The warning is due to last until next Monday (June 19).
Though Bristol is not currently forecast to meet the threshold for a heatwave, the Met Office does expect another hot week in the city. Today (June 13) is expected to reach 30C, with the mercury staying in the mid to high 20s for the rest of the week. It will feel particularly (and uncomfortably) warm at night.
South West Met Office forecast
- Today: A murky start for many with low cloud lingering around coasts. Elsewhere, cloud breaking and lifting through the morning, leaving a warm day with plenty of sunshine, but with the risk of a few heavy afternoon showers. Maximum temperature 27 °C.
- Tonight: Any showers soon fading with mostly clear skies developing across the region, perhaps with a few isolated mist patches forming here and there by dawn. Another warm and humid night. Minimum temperature 15 °C.
- Wednesday: Any early morning mist quickly clearing leaving the region with plenty of summer sunshine as temperatures rise during the morning. Maximum temperature 26 °C.
- Outlook for Thursday to Saturday: Mostly settled with plenty of dry weather and long periods of warm sunshine on Thursday and Friday. Feeling much fresher with an increasing chance of a shower on Saturday.
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