What is a red heat alert?
BRITS are used to changeable weather conditions – and can even experience extreme heat at times.
With a heatwave sweeping across much of the country in July 2022, the Met Office issued a red heat warning.
What is a red heat alert?
Brits have headed out to enjoy the sunny weather.
And the heatwave is expected to continue as the Met Office issues a red heat warning for Monday 18 July and Tuesday 19 July, with temperatures potentially reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
In the Met Office’s weather alert system, a red alert is the highest level.
Red alerts are reserved for cases where the weather could cause serious illness, e.g. B. in extreme heat.
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Met Office alerts work with weather forecasts, much like the usual forecast, and are likely to change but are used to alert citizens to the possibility of hazardous weather.
Extreme heat can cause problems for transport links and other vital systems, and many are already calling for school closures.
People across the UK have been advised to stay cool in the heatwave, even when it’s in the 20s.
It’s recommended to drink plenty of water, stay out of the sun in cool, shaded areas, and watch for signs of heat-related illness.
The warnings stretch from London to the Midlands, reaching as far as Manchester and York.
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When was the red heat warning last issued in the UK?
Red heat warnings are very rare in the UK as our usual climate is quite cool.
The hottest recorded temperature in Britain in 2019 is 38.7 degrees.
A heatwave is declared when temperatures exceed a set threshold for three consecutive days – this is usually set at 30 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night.
A Met Office study found that Britain has experienced higher maximum temperatures and longer warm spells in recent years, likely due to the broader effects of global warming.
The warmest temperature ever recorded was 56.7 degrees on July 13, 1913 in Death Valley, USA.
UK law has no limit on how hot workplaces can be, although most MPs backed the legislation to cap it at 30 degrees.
https://www.the-sun.com/news/5784329/what-red-heat-warning-met-office/ What is a red heat alert?
