Britain is forecast to see its hottest day on record on Tuesday as the heatwave continues. Temperatures could climb to 38C in Greater Manchester today, while forecasters predict the mercury will sizzle at possible highs of 41C in isolated areas.
These highs would be well above the previous record of 38.7C, recorded in 2019, and would make the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados. The UK and much of our region remains under its first red extreme heat warning, issued by the Met Office.
The warning will remain in place until just before midnight tonight. People are being warned to stay safe in the extreme heat, which could pose a danger to life.
READ MORE: A melting road, buckling railways and a new record temperature as Greater Manchester feels the heat
Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, told the PA news agency: "Overnight it’s going to stay very warm so expect a difficult night of sleeping. We then have a pretty unprecedented day tomorrow, the temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon.
"This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C."
Yesterday (Monday) temperatures climbed to 35C locally, while the Met Office's two weather stations nearest to Manchester saw the mercury hit record-busting highs. In Rochdale, a high temperature of 34.3C was recorded, beating the previous Greater Manchester record of 33.9C set at the same weather station back on July 25, 2019.
Meanwhile in Rostherne, a stone's throw from the Trafford border in Cheshire, the mercury hit even higher levels at 35C. The University of Manchester also recorded temperatures in the region of 35C at its Whitworth Observatory near the city centre at around 5pm.
The mercury peaked at 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk on Monday, making it the hottest day of the year and the third hottest day on record, after 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 and 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.
Some schools in our region decided that the heat was too much for students, and will be closing today. Advice has also been issued for people not to travel by rail, with several Manchester services cancelled into today and services on Bury Metrolink suspended due to the heatwave.
Water companies have been experiencing 'unprecedented peak demand', with people encouraged to 'carefully consider' their water usage and urged not to waste it.
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