Portsmouth heatwave: Red weather alert extended to Portsmouth as Met Office issues warning
The red weather warning now encompasses the entire Solent region.
A weather warning for extreme heat has been issued for Portsmouth.
Earlier this week, the Met Office confirmed a rare red warning for “extreme heat” for today (Wednesday, June 24) and Thursday, June 25, stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham.
It comes as temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius and above during the next couple of days, breaking the current UK temperature record of 40.5 degrees.
Now, the Met Office has extended this weather warning to include Portsmouth, and other parts of the south coast. The extension covers Portsmouth, Southampton, Bognor Regis, Bournemouth, Brighton, and Dorchester.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway, said: “Red warnings are reserved for the most severe events and we’re expecting severe and significant impacts from this heatwave, with health impacts likely for many, even beyond those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat. The last time the UK recorded temperatures this high was in July 2022, but on this occasion the heat is expected to be accompanied by high humidity.
“As well as very high daytime temperatures, there will be consecutive nights where temperatures do not drop below 20 degrees Celsius, which is called a tropical night. This will make it very hard for people to recover from the daytime heat, exacerbating the heat stress impacts.”
NHS trusts have advised people attending appointments during the heatwave to make sure they bring water and check travel beforehand.
Health service advice for how to cope during a heatwave includes keeping out of the heat when possible and cooling down with cold food and drinks, and closing windows and blinds during the day to keep the heat out of living spaces.