Experts say the UK looks set to have four more heatwaves in the weeks ahead, and have called for them to be given names like winter storms so that people take the danger more seriously.
University of Reading climate scientist Professor Hannah Cloke told The Times: “People just don’t realise that heatwaves are very dangerous. We should be doing anything we can to raise awareness in the same way as we do for storms.”
A heatwave requires temperatures to stay about a set threshold for three days – with the minimum temperature changing from county to county, according to the Met Office.
Leon Brown, of The Weather Company, told The Mail: “More heatwaves imported from the Continent to the UK are forecast this summer, each reaching at least 28C – and likely higher – and each lasting several days.”
Mr Brown says current forecasts show a heatwave at the start of July, and another towards the end of the month. He said: “With heat building further in Western Europe by July and a similar air flow expected from Spain again, it would bring even hotter temperatures than on Friday. “
He says temperatures in July should rise to 36C with more heat waves in August and September. The continent has already seen high temperatures, with events banned in France as the country saw 42C and warnings in Sain as it saw 43C.
A Met Office spokesman said: “An increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme high-temperature events and heatwaves over recent decades is linked to the observed warming of the planet and can be attributed to human activity. Previous Met Office research has shown that the frequency of high-temperature extreme weather events outnumbers low-temperature extremes by about nine to one.”