When will the heatwave end? Why is UK weather much hotter this summer? Everything you need to know

It's going to be a long, LONG, hot summer... 
Georgia Chambers30 July 2018

If the sweaty passengers on sweltering hot tube lines hadn't given it away yet: London is officially in the midst of a heatwave.

Gone are the usual summer disappointments of rained-off BBQs and festivals, as this week London and the South East will be basking in temperatures up to 35 C, hotter than Miami.

But why is this summer so unseasonably warm - and when will this heatwave end? Here's everything you need to know:

Why is the weather much hotter this summer?

Heatwaves happen when high pressure weather fronts develop, and they can linger for days or weeks.

When the UK does experience a rare heatwave, this is due down to the location of the jetstream - a core of strong winds around 5 to 7 miles above the Earth's surface blowing east to west.

During the summer months, these jetstreams cause pressure to build up, resulting in the hot weather.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill has said that the 2018 summer heatwave is being caused by high pressure over the UK and warm air flooding in from Europe.

Hot weather: Londoners shelter under a tree as the grass turns yellow in St James's Park
PA

When will the heatwave end?

Good news for sun worshippers - there's no sign of this heatwave stopping any time soon.

The sky-high temperatures look set to continue well into August, with the bookies' odds at 2/1 for the all-time high temperature of 38.5 C to be topped during the heatwave.

What's the impact of extreme summer heat?

Heatwaves can result in a rise in fatalities, with deaths attributable to hot weather. The Met Office regularly issues alerts with young children and the elderly most at risk.

The August 2003 heatwave, which lasted over 10 days, is said to have resulted in some 2,000 additional deaths in the UK.

This year, there are major concerns over sun damage, with 220 people being admitted to hospital due to sunburn over the last two months alone.

The extreme heat can also cause disruption to trains due to warping of tracks. It can also spark grassfires.

Heatwave: Tourists enjoy the sun near the Tower of London
PA

What do the Met Office heat health levels mean?

The Heat Health Watch Service, run by the Met Office and Public Health England, has four levels of responses to heatwaves based upon threshold maximum daytime and minimum nighttime temperatures. They are:

  • LEVEL 1: This is the minimum alert and is implemented every year from June 1 to 15 September. This just means that people should be aware of what to do if the alert level is raised. 
  • LEVEL 2: issued when there is a high chance that the threshold will be exceeded within the next few days.
  • LEVEL 3: issued when the thresholds have been exceeded.
  • LEVEL 4: issued when a prolonged hot spell becomes severe.

The UK is currently on a level 3 alert.

UK Heatwave - In pictures

1/76

What should I do during a heatwave?

Public Health England have issued a number of tips for staying safe in the heat. These include:

  • Look out for others, especially the elderly, young children, babies and those with underlying health conditions
  • close curtains on rooms that face the sun
  • drink plenty of water as sugary, caffeinated or alcoholic drinks can make you more dehydrated
  • never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially young children or animals
  • try to keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm
  • if going into the water to cool down, follow safety advice
  • if you go into the heat, walk in the shade, wear a hat and apply sun cream
  • avoid physical exertion during the hottest parts of the day
  • wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes
  • make sure you carry a bottle of water with you whilst travelling

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in