The Met Office has extended its hot weather forecast, advising households across England to keep windows closed until at least Saturday.
Originally, it was expected that the heatwave currently gripping the UK would die down before Wednesday. However, new forecasts suggest that the scorching sunshine will last until the weekend.
Particularly, homes in England are experiencing extreme heat after long summer days. These houses, though designed for cold British winters, now endure over 30 °C temperatures for longer periods of time.
Extended Forecast and Weather Warnings
- Forecast Duration: Hot sunshine is now expected to continue until at least Friday, with Saturday anticipated to bring some relief.
- Weather Warnings: A yellow weather warning for heat has been extended to Thursday. Friday is forecasted to be even hotter, potentially leading to further extensions of the warning.
Temperature Predictions
- London: Temperatures are expected to hit 29 °C on Thursday and 30 °C on Friday, before dropping to a more manageable 24 °C on Saturday.
- England and Wales: Similar temperature patterns are expected throughout these regions.
Temperatures will be a few degrees above average across Scotland and Northern Ireland this afternoon, and feeling warm in the brighter spells 🌥️
Meanwhile across England and Wales it will be very warm or hot, with temperatures perhaps reaching 30 °C in the southeast 🌡️📈 pic.twitter.com/YCHKZbdKOh
— Met Office (@metoffice) August 1, 2024
Cooling Advice for Households
Households are being urged to take measures to keep their homes cool. Should windows and curtains or blinds be kept closed during the sunniest hours of the day, as well as open windows in shaded areas? As temperatures drop outside in the evening, is it good to have all your windows open?
According to heating experts at BOXT, some common methods used for cooling off a home may not work and can be costly too.
Eliminating unwanted heat in your home can be challenging during summer, especially since most UK properties are designed to retain heat. While using a fan or opening all your windows are often recommended, these methods may not be as effective as believed.
Kerr further elaborates: “To help homeowners stay cool during the warmer months, we have identified which common cooling hacks are myths and why they don't work. Opening all your windows during warm weather can actually let more hot air into your home, making it feel even warmer.”
On the other hand, Kerr suggests that opening windows strategically will create cross currents during the day and opening them at night will bring in colder air. This technique is better for controlling room temperatures and making heat wave liveable.
Met Office 5-Day Weather Forecast
Today:
- Northern England might witness thunderstorms in the morning, but it will be dry in other areas.
- Thunderous showers that are likely to obstruct activities in the southern parts of England will develop later in the afternoon.
- The rest of the regions will be partly cloudy, with areas of rain along the extreme north-west and very warm, sticky air to the south.
Tonight:
- The evening will see thundery showers reducing, with most people having a sunny evening.
- There could be some fog or mist after a mostly dry night. It will be warm and humid for southerners.
Friday:
- On Friday, cloud cover would increase gradually as well as light rain over north-western parts of the region where it could be a bit windy too.
- There should be many dry places with sunlight, while several heavy showers fall on eastern areas.
- In most cases, temperatures remain high.
Outlook for Saturday to Monday:
- Saturday starts off cooler, but early rain clears to give a largely dry weekend which has some sun shine.
- This is followed by an unsettled Monday, with some rain accompanied by gusty winds blowing throughout the day.