LONDON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Britain's national weather service on Monday issued a rare red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday, as forecasters said the country's all-time June temperature record was very likely to be broken during an exceptionally hot and humid spell.
The Met Office said the red warning, covering parts of England and Wales, comes alongside existing amber extreme heat warnings that run from Monday through Thursday across much of southern and central England and large parts of Wales.
Temperatures are forecast to rise quickly on Monday, reaching 34 degrees Celsius in southern England, with a chance of thundery showers in some areas. The heat is expected to intensify on Tuesday, with highs of 37 degrees Celsius in southern England and 35 degrees Celsius in southeast Wales.
The peak of the heatwave is forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to at least 39 degrees Celsius, with a chance of even higher readings in some places, according to the Met Office.
The current UK June temperature record is 35.6 degrees Celsius, recorded in Southampton in June 1976 and at Camden Square in London in June 1957. The Met Office said the record is now very likely to be broken. The June temperature record for Wales, currently 33.7 degrees Celsius set in 2000, is also likely to be surpassed.
British media reported that this is only the second red warning for extreme heat ever issued by the Met Office, and the first to include Wales.
"Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we're expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat," said Mark Sidaway, deputy chief forecaster at the Met Office.
Sidaway also warned that this week's heat would be accompanied by high humidity and consecutive very warm nights, making it harder for people to recover from daytime heat.
The Met Office said the combination of extreme heat and humidity could affect public health, transport, power and water supplies. It also warned of increased risks around coastal areas, lakes and rivers as more people are likely to seek relief from the heat.
The UK Health Security Agency has separately issued heat health alerts, highlighting potential impacts on health and social care services. ■
