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Back in June last year, I recorded dew points above 68F. You're right though, hot weather in the UK is rarely accompanied with high dew points. Just looking at the historical data for a station in Leeds, during the hottest July on record, 2006, dew points never rose above 59F and even fell to 37F a few times
I'm surprised the threshold for Yorkshire is so low.. we're usually hotter in summer then anywhere in the North West of England, even the South West
Me too, I can't imagine many places in the NW can match the 34.4C that Leeds once got or the 35.6 that Bawtry (allegedly!) got in September 1906. I suppose with the SW it depends on where you draw the boundaries: 30/15 would be remarkable at Land's End, but from memory wasn't it Cheltenham that got 37.1 the same day in August 1990 that Leeds got 34.4?
Apparently these are the threasholds used by Meteo France. Northern France is similar to London, at 18/32C. I find them quite high in SW France, with a 100F+ threshold in Toulouse.
Here was our hottest day last summer. The dew point peaked at 20C but the temps was only 32C at that time. By the time the max was reached (36C) the dew point was rather low at 15C so it didn't feel any muggier. History : Weather Underground
I like humid weather, as it is quite unusual here but can't realistically hope for it, as nobody has AC and it's rather hard to sleep in these conditions.
Excessive heat is rare indeed in England. Cambridge despite having amongst the warmest summers, averages only 2 32c/90f+ days a year and the warmest day typically averages only 31c/88f.
Over the past few days, parts of England have seen temperatures climb to highs of around 31 degrees Celsius by day, but a key factor has been the night-time temperatures. Lows in some areas have not fallen below 18 degrees Celsius.
This has triggered heatwave plan alert level three. This means that high temperatures have been reached and sustained in one or more regions, with two consecutive very warm nights, a hot intervening day and a forecast of even higher temperatures.
These hot conditions will persist until Friday, with lower temperatures moving in by the weekend. English regions particularly affected by the heatwave and which have reached criteria for level three include London and the South East.
Head of Health Forecasting at the Met Office, Wayne Elliott said: "There are four key things to try and remember during a heatwave. If possible, stay out of the heat during the middle part of the day; cool yourself down; keep your environment cool; and look out for others, especially older people, those living alone and babies and young children."
Coping during a heatwave
The Department of Health is reminding people to remain aware of the risks faced by elderly friends and relatives during a heatwave.
Yvonne Doyle, Regional Director of Public Health in the South East, said: "Everyone’s health can be affected by the heat, with greater risks of dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Those most at risk are the very young and the very old, and people who already have health conditions, especially heart and respiratory problems – the heat can make their symptoms worse."
Top tips for coping during a heatwave include:
check up on friends, relatives and neighbours who may be less able to look after themselves
shut and shade windows when it is hotter outside than inside and open them for ventilation when it is cooler outside
people with serious health problems (for example heart conditions) should avoid going out in the heat, especially between 11.00 am and 3.00 pm
drink cold drinks like water or fruit juice regularly and avoid tea, coffee and alcohol
stay tuned to the weather forecast and plan ahead with supplies
keep plenty of water to hand
stay in the shade where possible
identify the coolest room in the house, so you can go there to keep cool or sleep
People are advised to contact their local environmental health officer if they have concerns for themselves or a vulnerable friend, neighbour or relative. Environmental health practitioners at local authorities can visit to inspect the condition of a home for hazards to health, including excess heat.
All common sense and a bit nanny state really, but after what happened in 2003 (particularly in France) I suppose it can't do any harm. Here's the mortality rate vs. temperature for Paris in that summer:
Me too, I can't imagine many places in the NW can match the 34.4C that Leeds once got or the 35.6 that Bawtry (allegedly!) got in September 1906. I suppose with the SW it depends on where you draw the boundaries: 30/15 would be remarkable at Land's End, but from memory wasn't it Cheltenham that got 37.1 the same day in August 1990 that Leeds got 34.4?
Yes indeed it was, and that was the UK record until August 2003. But even Bristol's record high is around the same as Leeds, possibly lower (I'll have to check)
Yes indeed it was, and that was the UK record until August 2003. But even Bristol's record high is around the same as Leeds, possibly lower (I'll have to check)
I think it was hinted that Cheltenham benefitted from a Foehn effect...nearby Malvern only got 35.8c and Pershore and Ross on Wye 35.0c IIRC that day. Worcester Barbourne got 37.0c, although i think that station was removed from the UKMO network due to being inaccurate.
Over the past few days, parts of England have seen temperatures climb to highs of around 31 degrees Celsius by day, but a key factor has been the night-time temperatures. Lows in some areas have not fallen below 18 degrees Celsius.
Only 18°C ?! I was woken up by the frigid morning on this day (fan blowing on me):
Yes, the record high low temperature for the UK is something like 23C, so anything above 18C is pretty unusual and even during the hottest months here nights above 18C are virtually unheard of, even if the high temperatures are in the low 30'sC, the low temperature will usually fall back to 15C and below. The highest overnight temperature I can find for Leeds is 19.4C
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) got in September 1906. I suppose with the SW it depends on where you draw the boundaries: 30/15 would be remarkable at Land's End, but from memory wasn't it Cheltenham that got 37.1 the same day in August 1990 that Leeds got 34.4?
