South East & East Anglia Regional Discussion 11th July 2013 onwards

[Coast]

Gravesend is budging the Heathrow hot-spot out of the limelight (sunlight?) today so far:

 

Gravesend 27.6 °C

Heathrow 26.4 °C

 

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/observations/

[HammerJack]

Today I can't beat the heat. So I'm going to join in... Off for a cold beer and ploughmans lunch in the local watering hole where I work ðŸ»ðŸŒž

[NO LONGER POSTING]

LOVE THIS HEAT!!! MOREEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!    

[Coast]

 

The Met Office has upgraded its heatwave health warning for some parts of the UK to Level 3, just one step away from a red alert state of emergency. The alert means a call for “heatwave action†in London and the South East, which requires social and healthcare services to take specific measures targeted at high-risk groups such as the very young, very old and those who are unwell.

 

Level 3 heat-health warnings are triggered when the heatwave threshold temperature – on average around 30C – is reached over the course of one day and the following night, and where forecasters believe there is a 90 per cent chance of it being met again the following day. Much of the rest of the country was advised to be in a state of “alert and readinessâ€, with only Scotland and Northern Ireland not issued some level of warning. The current warning level is one step away from “emergencyâ€, which is reached when the weather is so severe that illness and death could occur among the fit and healthy, and the heatwave’s effects extend beyond the health and social care system.

 

Public Health England (PHE), an agency of the Department of Health, told people to stay safe during the heatwave, providing a set of recommendations that includes keeping out of the sun from 11am to 3pm, wearing loose fitting cotton clothing, drinking plenty of cold drinks and avoiding physical exertion. Dr Angie Bone, in charge of PHE’s Heatwave Plan, said: “In this continued hot weather, it’s important to remember that high temperatures can be dangerous, especially for people who may be vulnerable such as older people, young children and those with serious illnesses.â€

 

And as a group of MPs this week called for a law to be created that would see staff sent home if their workplace got hotter than 30C, Dr Bone said: “Employers should ensure indoor areas are kept cool and consider allowing these individuals to travel to or from their place of work during cooler, or less busy, times of the day.â€

 

Met Office spokesman Tony Gray said the mercury could climb as high as 32C in London, which would be the hottest day of the year and beat a previous record of 31.5C at Seavington in Somerset. The last time London was issued with a Level 3 warning was 18-19 August last year, and while Yorkshire and Humberside also received an alert at the end of last week, the threshold there is considerably lower.

 

The director for health protection from PHE, Dr Paul Cosford, added that: “While hot weather is enjoyable for most people and uncomfortable for some, sadly experience tells us that exposure to excessive heat can kill. Because we are not used to these very hot temperatures in England, it’s important that local plans are in place to reduce the impact of harm from very hot weather.†The warnings come after two soldiers died during a training exercise on the Brecon Beacons on Saturday, and there has been a string of cases across the country of deaths from swimming in dangerous natural water sources and quarries.

 

The heatwave, which is expected to persist well into August, has led to a 15 per cent rise in the demand for tap water in London and the Thames Valley. The latter is the region’s main supplier, and has seen consumers getting through around 400 million extra litres of water a day. Thames Water’s Jerry White said: “While we are currently a million miles away from a drought, our treatment works are being cranked up a notch to keep pace with the spikes in demand. â€Peak periods are first thing in the morning when people are getting washed ready for work and in the evenings when people turn the sprinklers on and fill up paddling pools for the kids to enjoy."

 

The AA issued a reminder to anyone thinking of driving in the heat to carry out basic checks of coolant levels, oil, tyre pressures and cooling fans. It said traffic is expected to be at its worst on the weekend of 26 to 28 July, as roads are clogged by families fleeing for beaches in the south.

 

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/met-office-issues-level-3-heatwave-warning-in-south-east-as-temperatures-top-30c-8713668.html

[snow raven]

Just come back from lunch (sat outside in the shade) and I must say, the humidity isn't as bad as I thought it was - there is even a bit of a breeze to help keep things more pleasant.

 

It's amazing what working in an air conditioned office has done - the first day of this heatwave I am actually enjoying! 

[Emz by the Thames]

Loads of  vertical development cloud here - just east of High Wycombe - some of the clouds are dark.

 

Occasional hot sun but mostly hazey and muggy now.

[Eskimo]

My ex-girlfriend came round last saturday and told me that the outlet she works in is getting too hot. She works in a zoo and the zoo has various outlets that look like small sheds that sell cold drinks and various tat, she said the temperature must be getting above 30C inside. I told her to take my thermometer and place it inside without the management seeing it. I told her how to reset the thermometer so it can read the maximum temperature which it saves for 24 hours. Apparently by 4pm, the thermometer was showing an indoor reading of 37C. When she came round Sunday morning to give it back, the thermometer had a reading of 38.4C which is absolutely astonishing. Yesterday I went with her to complain about the poor staff conditions and I made it clear to them that if they didn't supply a fan or anything that made the shed cooler then we will get a union member in to assess the work conditions at the zoo. Earlier today she text me saying they have installed a fan in her shed and gave her a cool pack with a tea towel wrapped round it so she can place on her face when she got too hot. Victory! 

[Daydream Boy]

A fair bit of convection going up west and southwest of Staines currently. some have dark bases. You can actually see the cumulus growing up and up, isolated storms anyone?

[Coast]

A fair bit of convection going up west and southwest of Staines currently. some have dark bases. You can actually see the cumulus growing up and up, isolated storms anyone?

 

Being analysed and observed currently

 

http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/77030-convective-storm-risk-discussion-21st-june-2013-onwards/page-48

[snow raven]

Just seen this on the BBC website:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19319499

 

Some useful tips and ideas for those of us struggling to get a good nights kip in this heat!

[john pike]

Hi all at redhill at work and first sign of towers here as well

Oh and its a bit hot

[Summer of 76]

A few more clouds in the sky here which ties in the with the latest Sat picture, still very warm if not hot.

[Captain Shortwave]

Phew, what a day here, cloudless skies, very light breeze from the South East and temperatures around 25/26C

31C reported at Heathrow and even this region Norwich is at 28C so 30C could be broken today inland.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Captain shortwave

[Chloe]

Towers building up nicely to the North and East developing quickly as heat is rising keeping an eye!

[Coast]

[lawrenk]

Just seen this on the BBC website:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19319499

 

Some useful tips and ideas for those of us struggling to get a good nights kip in this heat!

Interesting article. I found the advice from the professor of sleep and respiratory physiology to "use a fan" especially useful.

[Coast]

 

We seem to have come to the end of this one, new one here:

 

http://forum.netweather.tv/topic/77284-south-east-east-anglia-regional-discussion-17th-july-2013-onwards/

Edited July 17, 2013 by Coast