Rare amber heat weather warning issued for parts of Yorkshire with travel disruption expected

An Amber Extreme Heat warning has been issued by the Met Office with temperatures likely to peak around 37°C in places.

The warning will be in force through much of Thursday and also covers parts of southern and eastern England, as well as parts of the Midlands.

Met Office Chief Forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.

“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day-by-day. Southerly and southeasterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”

The Met Office warning highlights likely health impacts, as well as potential water safety incidents and travel disruption. Some heat sensitive systems and equipment may also be disrupted, with the potential for power cuts in places.

When will the heat ease?

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster David Oliver said: “While Thursday will be the peak of the heat this week, some warmth will remain in the south and southeast on Friday, before easing more widely on Saturday as cooler air spreads south from the northwest.”

High pressure is likely to retain some influence over the weather in the south of the UK later in the weekend but may begin to weaken into the start of next week. Details are uncertain, but this may allow showers or some longer spells of rain to spread across parts of the UK for a time.