UK sees hottest day of the year so far as Cambridge hits 34.8C
Cambridge recorded the highest temperature of the year so far on Monday (12 August) as the city sweltered in 34.8C heat.
The figure was registered at 4pm, but is still some way off the 40.3C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire in July 2022.
A yellow heat health alert was issued for the East and West Midlands, East of England, South East, South West, North West and London by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) until 9am on Wednesday.
On Monday afternoon the Met Office posted on social media: “It’s been the hottest day of 2024 so far with 34.8°C recorded in Cambridge today.
“Provisionally this is only the 11th year since 1961 temperatures as high as this have been recorded.
“8 of those years have been since 2000 and 6 of them have been in the last decade.”
Before Monday, the hottest day of 2024 had been Friday July 19 when temperatures reached 31.9C in central London.
The UKHSA alert means those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly with multiple health conditions, are likely to struggle to cope with the heat, and action may be required in the health and social care sector.
The Met Office recommended that people keep curtains closed during the peak of the day and drink a lot of water.
Caroline Abrahams, charity director of Age UK, said any older person living with health conditions should stay as cool as they can and advised friends and neighbours to offer help with picking up prescriptions or groceries.
She said: “Ageing bodies find it difficult to deal with extremes of temperature, so even if you are someone who has always loved the heat this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find a day like today as pleasant and easy to deal with as you used to.
“It pays to know your own body and to stay in touch with it as it changes over the years, but certainly if you are living with serious heart or lung conditions then it’s important to avoid getting too hot.
“There are some simple tips we can follow to stay safe and well in the heat but for most of us it’s largely a matter of exercising common sense.”
Thunderstorms and torrential downpours affected parts of Northern Ireland, Scotland and northern England on Monday morning but were clearing into the North Sea by the early afternoon, with a yellow weather warning ending at 1pm.
Forecaster Craig Snell said: “Although we probably won’t see that severe weather across the south, that system will gradually bring some cooler temperatures to all parts as we go through Tuesday and Wednesday, with highs back up to the high 20s rather than mid 30s.”