UK weather forecast – 34C hottest day of the year today before three days of thunderstorms, Met Office warns
TODAY is set to be the hottest day of the year in the UK with the mercury sizzling to 34C – but thunderstorms are on the way.
The Met Office said Thursday could see Wales smash its June records before the weather turns sour.
Thunderstorms are expected to sweep across the UK from 4pm, bringing heavy rain, lightning and hail.
The storms will form in the South West and South East of England, Wales, western Scotland and Northern Ireland.
A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place for much of the country from Thursday to Saturday, warning of disruption due to flooding, lightning strikes, hail and wind.
Today, West London is forecast to see temperatures peak between 32C (89.6F) and 33C (91.4F).
Parts of Wales could see the mercury rise to 34C (93.2F) -making it the hottest June on record in the country, surpassing the previous peak of 33.7C (92.7F) on June, 18 2000.
It comes as the Met Office raised its heat alert level to three and as health authorities have urged sun seekers to protect themselves amid the "exceptionally hot weather forecast this week".
Forecasters have also warned people can get sunburnt in just 15 minutes.
Public Health England said older people, those with underlying health conditions, and very young children were all more at risk from the higher temperatures.
People have been advised to keep cool and stay hydrated where possible.
The Met Office said UV levels were expected to remain at eight across many parts of the UK on Thursday.
Dr Michaela Hegglin, associate professor in atmospheric chemistry at the University of Reading's Department of Meteorology, said Thursday could see some of the "highest UV levels ever recorded" in Britain.
She said: "This is because of a combination of factors. We are at the summer solstice, when the sun is almost directly overhead at one o'clock.
"UV levels this high are rare in the UK, so people with light skin should be very careful to avoid getting burnt.
"While UV is important for getting vitamin D and keeping us healthy, too much of it can cause skin cancer or eye cataracts."
Emer O'Connell, consultant in public health at PHE, said it was important that people kept checking on the vulnerable, as many continued to spend more time at home due to coronavirus.
"You will need to do things differently this year, for example keeping in touch by phone," she said.
"If you need to provide direct care to someone at risk from hot weather, follow Government guidance on how to do this safely."
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