Much of the UK is set for relief from scorching temperatures as the third heatwave of summer finally begins to break. Amber and yellow heat health alerts across England are due to lift at 9am today, ending warnings about potential rises in deaths among vulnerable groups.
Temperatures that soared above 30C across several regions and shattered multiple weekend records are widely forecast to cool significantly. The Met Office says low pressure moving in from the Atlantic will replace the high pressure system that brought the intense heat.
Atlantic weather system brings change
"The heatwave is starting to come to an end as low pressure starts to move in from the Atlantic," Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said. "We say goodbye to high pressure as this area of low pressure takes over, bringing bands of heavy rain, some thundery downpours, but also bringing in some fresher conditions across many parts."
Central and eastern England will cling to warmth today, with forecasts of 25C to 26C expected. East Anglia and south-east England could potentially still hit 30C, whilst the rest of the UK faces cooler temperatures between 18C and 22C.
Heavy downpours expected across regions
Northern England and southern Scotland face the highest likelihood of heavy downpours and thunder rumbles. However, forecasters predict plenty of sunny spells will develop across the UK throughout the day.
Saturday marked the peak of the heatwave, with Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales all recording their warmest day of the year so far. Scotland and Northern Ireland reached temperatures not seen for years, though Sunday's heat dropped slightly as predicted.
Weekend temperature records broken nationwide
Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire hit 30.8C whilst Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands reached 30.4C. Cardiff's Bute Park recorded 30.2C and Castlederg in County Tyrone saw 27.1C during the weekend's scorching conditions.
The extreme heat sparked wildfires tackled by fire and rescue teams in London, Surrey, and Perth in Scotland. Yorkshire implemented a hosepipe ban, with similar restrictions coming into force for Kent and Sussex from July 18.
Entertainment and sport face heat disruption
Oasis fans received warnings on Friday to prepare for extreme sun and heat ahead of the band's performances at Heaton Park in Manchester. Meanwhile, penguin chicks at London Zoo enjoyed their first dip in the big pool to cool off.
Sport suffered significant disruption, with multiple play pauses at Wimbledon as tennis fans required medical attention. Thursday's England versus India cricket match at Lord's briefly stopped after an influx of ladybirds - present in high numbers due to the heat - distracted players.
Safety warnings issued across multiple sectors
Fire chiefs urged caution as they warned of increased wildfire and drowning risks. The National Fire Chiefs Council asked people not to enter water to cool down and urged parents to supervise children around water constantly.
HM Coastguard issued coastal safety advice as data shows most drownings occurred in July over the past three years. National Rail warned passengers that hot weather might cause weekend train disruption, whilst the RNLI cautioned beachgoers about cold water shock risks despite the heat.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
