Met Office extends amber weather warning in New Forest and Christchurch until Tuesday
THE Met Office's amber weather warning for extreme heat in the New Forest and Christchurch has been extended with forecasters now expecting the sweltering temperatures to remain next week.
The rare warning, first triggered on Monday as the mercury crept past 30C, states there could be a danger to life or potential serious illness as a result of the ongoing heatwave.
It was initially expected that the unusually hot weather would peak this Sunday, with temperatures dropping considerably after Monday.
But forecasters at the Met Office have now altered their predictions warning that this week's heatwave is expected to continue past the weekend with temperatures now expected to peak sometime between Monday and Tuesday – prompting an extension of the amber warning for extreme heat until 11.59pm Tuesday.
The warning states: "A hot spell is likely to develop from Sunday, likely peaking early next week, leading to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure."
While many have been enjoying the unusually prolonged spell of good weather, a lengthy stretch of above-average temperatures is not without its problems.
People have been urged to look out for the elderly and vulnerable after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) expressed its own concerns about how people may be managing in the heat with officials putting in place level three heatwave warnings for much of southern and eastern England.
While the Environment Agency has said it is watching water levels closely as the dry spell continues and the RSPCA has been forced to appeal to dog owners not to walk their animals in the heat for fear that it might kill them.
Network Rail has also said it may be forced to implement speed restrictions on some rail services should the high temperatures begin to affect services while gritters are also on standby in a number of areas should tarmac begin melting under the red-hot sun.
While there are suggestions this heatwave could break all records by next Tuesday, the hottest day in the UK currently on record is 38.7C recorded in Cambridge on 25th July, 2019.
