Friday, July 9, 2010

Met Office issues health alert as UK prepares to swelter on hottest weekend of the year

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Health issue: The Met Office said it is the night-time temperatures which could cause the most problems


If you're heading away for a long since booked week in some foreign clime, then look away now.

Because the UK is preparing for the hottest weekend of the year so far.

Temperatures are expected to reach a sizzling 31c (88f) in parts of East Anglia and the South East today and tomorrow - while there is a 'reasonable' chance they could reach 32c (90f).

And in parts of the South East, temperatures may struggle to get below 20c (68f ) at night.

The prospect of such scorching weather has led the Met Office to issue its first health alert of the summer.

Wayne Elliott, its head of health forecasting, said: 'While there is the possibility of daytime temperatures reaching trigger thresholds, it is the night time values which are of real concern.

'High humidity and the lack of any breeze could make matters worse for people with underlying health problems.'

However, not everywhere will suffer from the heat. Some areas will have unsettled conditions and temperatures only reaching the low 20s.

Frank Saunders, chief forecaster at the Met Office, said: 'There is a 60 per cent chance of some places in East Anglia and south east England reaching 32c (90f) but it is important to note that it won't be hot everywhere.

'Cloud and some rain are expected for a time over northern regions of the UK.'
The UK isn't the only destination to have been baked by the sun's rays this week.

Across the pond, the mercury has been flying high all week on America's east coast causing power blackouts and cities to swelter.

Temperatures in New York hit 103 degrees (39.4C) on Wednesday, while Philadelphia reported readings of 102 (38.8C).

Thousands of people cooled off by turning on fire hydrants or splashing through fountains.


Record temperatures: A little girl pedals her bike through a fire hydrant jet in Philadelphia


Meterologists forecast the heatwave could start to ease off later this week, but much of the north east coast of the U.S. has seen temperatures topping 100 degrees (37.7C).

The Suffolk County Red Cross, on New York's Long Island, said it planned to hand out bottles of water to day labourers working on rooftops or in fields and yards.

Workers at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, New Jersey, used tubs of ice cubes to help keep four sick seals cool.

Weather Service spokesman Sean Potter said: 'It's safe to say this is one of the hottest days in about a decade for many locations in the north east and even inland.

'You'd go back to 2001 or maybe 1999 to find a similar heat wave.'




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