Heatwave

[❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️]

It got to 28C in August 1910

How did it get that hot up there?

What's the warmest recoreded temperature in the Scilly Isles?

[Scorcher]

Personally, if all other things were equal I would prefer "fresh" to sticky, no question.

But the problem in the UK is that all other things are not equal- "fresh" weather in summer often comes accompanied by chilly westerly or northerly winds, extensive cloud cover, the odd bit of sun and the odd bit of rain (and some call it "sunshine and showers"- I beg to differ!). In the meantime heat and humidity is often associated with imports of more continental-style weather with sunshine and convective outbreaks. Thus I find myself preferring the heat and humidity, entirely because of the external factors!

I agree with this completely, that's why I am concerned when I hear the word 'fresher' on the weather forecast as in this country it often means cooler with a strong breeze and this is rarely accompanied by wall to wall sunshine. It's also why I rarely look forward to a thundery breakdown- yes I enjoy the thunder but only look forward to it if I know the warmth is going to return promptly. 2006 was ideal for this as even when thunderstorms did occur the heat returned very quickly.

Very disappointing today- rain on and off but still no thunder, hardly saw the sun till about an hour ago. Maxed about 26 but as Scorcher said this combination of cloudy, damp conditions with temps in the mid-to high 20s yet no thunder seems really unusual in Britain. It's what I'd expect in summer in somewhere like the US Deep South or southern China.

Yes it felt most unusual today in the showers as the temperature barely seemed to drop at all when the rain fell. It's not common to have rain and temperatures of 24C here but that's what happened today. It reminded me a lot of Florida, every time I walked out of a building the humidity was instantly noticeable. I know humid conditions are relatively common in the UK but certainly not with temperatures in the mid 20s and almost total cloud cover.

[The PIT]

Funny how the the media call it a 'serious' heatwave.. It is hardly serious, it is only a weak heatwave at best.

I wouldn't even class it as a heatwave a very warm dull humid spell but not a heatwave here at least.

[Mondy]

Meanwhile dog owners/lovers, don't being doing this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highla...nds/8126382.stm

[kold weather]

I think its a heatwave but a lot of places have only had warm/very warm coniditions. Best of the heat seems to have been around W/SW London from the looks of things. 31C appears to be the max temp today, tomorrow could well just see 32C but much depends on the temps overnight.

[chionomaniac]

I think its a heatwave but a lot of places have only had warm/very warm coniditions. Best of the heat seems to have been around W/SW London from the looks of things. 31C appears to be the max temp today, tomorrow could well just see 32C but much depends on the temps overnight.

The GFS is suggesting a minima of just 10ºC over Essex tonight but I just can't see it getting that low. It still feels jolly warm here.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

it certainly feels painfully hot now, temp now 20.2C after high of 22.3C

[kold weather]

Well Southend is down to 16C so its cooing down quite a bit so a min around 12C is quite possibe, meanwhile Standsted is still up at 20C.

[Nick L]

I don't think it's so much the temperatures being high, it's the humidity and very muggy feeling that is making this "heatwave" so uncomfortable. Certainly, away from the southeast it isn't a heatwave.

[Summer of 95]

How did it get that hot up there?

What's the warmest recoreded temperature in the Scilly Isles?

Well I don't know about the Scillies, but the warmest in Penzance since 1992 is only 29.7 http://www.turnstone-cottage.co.uk/wpage2.html- I'd guess the Scillies are a touch cooler than there in summer. In fact Penzance and the Scillies might well see snow more often than 30C!

[Bottesford]

I don't really mind that we've not had extreme high temps - the only reason I like high temps (except for the 'experience' of it) is that high temps means warm evenings. Tonight is still 23.3c at gone half 10 at night despite only reaching 26.3c today. The humidity can be hard to bare at work in the day but these warm evenings are superb so no need for 30c+

I know loads of you like it 'fresh' with a nice breeze in 'pleasent' sunshine - and so do I if I'm out - trouble is 'fresh & pleasent' at 3pm (when I'm at work) is 'chilly & annoying' at 9pm (fun time). So hot & draining at 3pm at work giving shorts weather at beer o'clock suits me great!

Lucky for y'all (and less lucky for me) 'my' sort of weather days you can count on one hand whereas your fresh with chilly nights make up 90% of UK weather.

Long live the heat/humid wave!

[morfius]

The current weather doesn't feel heatwavish to me...

I live on the edge of south west London, in an urbanised area, and today just felt pleasant - yesterday actually felt humid, but today, especially this afternoon, was actually quite comfortable - even for playing tennis in without sweating that much.

Now, either i'm living in an extremely anamalous cold spot, or the humidity is much lower than reported or it could just be the breeze?

Also, in actual hot weather, I usually find it difficult and sweaty to sleep yet I have had none of those problems (and my house has no air conditioning, just plain old windows).

So what i'm saying, is even in the south east, it doesn't feel too extraordinary

And I forgot to mention that the thermometer in my room is reading 29C so surely it must be humidity? Has anyone got humidity readings for the south east?

Edited June 30, 2009 by morfius

[OldGreggsTundraBoy]

It was 30C+ here today but when i went to a beach near Portsmouth only about 60 miles away i was surprised how very cool it was, there was a cloud that literally didn't move that stopped any sun heating and the sea still has a massive cooling effect in these hot times.

[ribster]

I wouldn't even class it as a heatwave a very warm dull humid spell but not a heatwave here at least.

Indeed, with the exception of 28 on Monday, only 24 today with the next few days forecast at 25, with night time minimum ranging from 13-15, not a heatwave here either. Hasn't felt like it either, humid yes, but not particularly hot.

[Derp Patrol]

Yeah, it doesn't feel extraordinary really.. I wonder what Scotland would do if they were seeing temps of 30C+ though!

[Thundery wintry showers]

I've seen Philip Eden's temperature graphs- it does look like it's been less hot generally than I thought. The heat perhaps took longer to take off than expected.

In Exeter this has just been a prolonged warm spell. But for some, it has indeed been a heatwave.

[TEITS]

Im not sure whether to class it as a heatwave but for my location temps have reached 29C and mins around 18. Infact as I type its 21C at 23.30 which is still impressive.

I would say its around 2C shy of being classed as a heatwave but considering the time of year then maybe it is for my location. If these temps were reached end of July/August then the answer is no it isn't a heatwave.

Lets be honest the Met O in recent yrs do tend to be OTT with their warnings and have become somewhat americanised. We see this in winter when warnings are issued for just snow showers or the prospects of 2cm lying snow. However I will echo what I said yesterday that some elderly people have been suffering in these high temps in Peterborough.

[J07]

It seems like it's hot and dry in the southeast, warm and humid further west. London's air was even drier today than yesterday, with 30/12, but I saw Bristol had a muggy 26/18 which is probably more unpleasant. Still not exactly "tropical" or similar to the US deep south or southern China though.

[reef]

Its like a different world close to the east coast this week. Max/Min temps during the last 7 days here:

24th: 19.4C / 11.8C

25th: 21.4C / 12.5C

26th: 19.7C / 13.7C

27th: 20.4C / 13.4C

28th: 24.0C / 14.2C

29th: 21.8C / 14.6C

30th: 21.1C / 12.9C

Even now its already dropped to 15.8C. Nothing like a heatwave here, but definitely pleasant.

[asdasd]

It seems like it's hot and dry in the southeast, warm and humid further west. London's air was even drier today than yesterday, with 30/12, but I saw Bristol had a muggy 26/18 which is probably more unpleasant. Still not exactly "tropical" or similar to the US deep south or southern China though.

i'd like to see the humidity. it is ten past midnight here(bath) and my bedroom is a sauna.

In florida they have air conditioning.

[Craigers]

currently 19c here in doncaster!!!!!!!!! was 21c at 10pm!!

[J07]

i'd like to see the humidity. it is ten past midnight here(bath) and my bedroom is a sauna.

In florida they have air conditioning.

Yeah I know, I'm not making allowances for the horrors of British homes in warm weather!

The London humidity at the peak of the day was very low (33%) and Bristol 61%. It's different now though because RH tends to hit its lowest during peak temperatures. In many places now, temperatures seem to be 21/18 or so, which is RH of 83%.

[TEITS]

Still not exactly "tropical" or similar to the US deep south or southern China though.

True but then again they adjust to such heat.

Just been talking to some friends on xbox live from the US and they were saying that despite temps being in the 90's their room temp was only 19C thanks to the air conditioning. However our heatwaves aren't severe or frequent enough to warrant making adjustments apart from a cheap fan from argos.

Edited June 30, 2009 by THE EYE IN THE SKY

[Upgrade]

definately a heatwave here. went outside at lunchtime in ctrl london and from an air conditioned office the heat hits you like an oven . the streets are painfully hot. you really only want to be out in it early or late in the evening. middle of the day - yuk. too hot to function effectively , running between meetings, bloody dreadful. nice to get home and water the garden this evening when it had cooled down a bit and do my shopping at 10pm at sainsburys. london is not a nice place when its really hot, people who havent had such high temps shouldnt really be jealous of us - its really not that nice unless you dont have to work in it or can sit in the park lazing around.

[cheshire snow]

As i type current temp is 20c with 88% humidity...Yuk

Thank goodness i am at work in a nice air conditioned office

Must be a nightmare trying to sleep in this