Midlands weather: Sun fun for many but some are simply hot under the collar
A welcome late summer present or a sting in the tail – it depends on your point of view.
Heat-health alerts have been upgraded amid warnings of temperatures of 30C (86F) by tomorrow.
While the sunshine is good news for those with a splash park to play in, spare a thought for those working with hot metal at the Black Country Museum and Blists Hill.
There is little respite in the evenings either, with temperatures barely dipping below 20C, creating conditions that meteorologists describe as “tropical”.
The hottest temperatures of 2023 are expected to descend on the West Midlands tomorrow, which will be the peak of the early September heatwave.
It comes as the UK Health Security Agency upgraded an earlier yellow alert across the whole of England including the West Midlands.
The warning is now amber, meaning people of all ages could be affected, putting the NHS potentially at risk during “unseasonably high temperatures”.
The hot weather comes after what has generally been regarded as a cool wet summer for much of the UK.
While July in particular was wetter and cooler than average, with the maximum temperature failing to regularly reach 20C, the previous month was the UK’s hottest June on record.
“We will see good sunny conditions right through the week with cloudless skies, and some high temperatures for today Wednesday and Thursday, where we could see 30, 31, and maybe 32C in some areas,” Met Office spokesman Oli Claydon said.
He added that the high temperatures would be “quite widely spread” across the UK, with the hottest conditions mainly being felt in south-east and central England.
Top temperatures in the West Midlands are likely to be approaching 30C. Mr Claydon also warned that tonight could be a particularly warm with temperatures potentially not dropping below 20C, which is what is termed a “tropical night”.
There could also be a tropical night on Thursday, he said.
The hot weather has come just as the schools return, meaning steps are being taken to ensure children are kept out of the harmful rays.
Outdoor attractions across the region say they are seeing higher numbers than usual for the first week after the summer holidays, and playgrounds and splash parks across the region are full.
Meanwhile, binmen in Shrewsbury are starting their rounds at 6am today due to the amber weather warning.
The Met Office said that tropical storms in the far western Atlantic, as well as deep areas of low pressure, have helped to amplify the jet stream – a fast wind high in the atmosphere – over the Atlantic Ocean. This has led to high pressure “dominating over the UK”, it said.
Average temperatures are expected to return by the middle of next week, with the possibility of thunderstorms over the weekend.
Any rain is also likely to bring with it an unwelcome visitor
The Met Office say “picturesque” sunsets seen across the West Midlands in recent days have come because of “Saharan dust” in the atmosphere. Any rain that comes is also likely to dump that dust, leaving its mark on parked cars and windows.
