Portsmouth Weather: Latest updates as heatwave grips city and Hampshire as temperatures over 40C recorded in UK for the first time, according to Met Office
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The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for today and tomorrow, with the heatwave affecting people across the country.
This could cause adverse health effects for those vulnerable to rising temperatures, according to the forecaster.
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Hide AdA Met Office statement said: ‘Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life.
‘Government advice is that 999 services should be used in emergencies only; seek advice from 111 if you need non-emergency health advice.’
Red weather warnings are in place in certain parts of the UK.
The heatwave has already caused disruption for many.
Some schools across Portsmouth and Hampshire closed yesterday as a result of the weather, with others changing uniform policy.
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Hide AdThe Met Office said disruptions on the roads and other transport links are also likely.
They have also reported that last night was the warmest on record in the UK.
According to provisional figures, the highest ever temperature in country has been recorded, soaring above 40C for the first time.
It is 40.2C, at London Heathrow airport.
In Portsmouth, temperatures are expected to peak at 29C by 3pm.
We will bring you all the latest updates relating to the heatwave.
Live blog updates will be below this article.
Latest weather updates from across Portsmouth and Hampshire as heatwave grips the UK
Key Events
- The Met Office have issued an amber weather warning for Portsmouth.
- Some schools across the county have preemptively closed today - others have changed uniform policy.
- The Met Office warned the heatwave may cause disruption to traffic and public transport.
Weekend weather
Many Portsmouth residents and tourists basked in the sunshine over the weekend.
Pictures from over the weekend can be found here, see if you can spot yourself.
Heatwave Update From Academics
Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology, University of Portsmouth, said shade and natural environments can be used to combat heat.
He nodded towards the Tivoli gardens in Rome.
He said: ‘They built Tivoli gardens, which is full of trees, water, water sprays, pretty much exactly, as far as I understand it, along very similar lines to that which we’re proposing now.
’So the answer has been there for at least 2,000 years, it’s just that we haven’t had the stimulus to change.’
Professor Hannah Cloke, natural hazards researcher at the University of Reading, said one of the simplest measures that can be introduced to try and mitigate the heat, is shade.
She told a press briefing: ’If you go into a city that’s designed properly and it’s got these things and the buildings are moving in the right direction to provide that type of shading, it can make an enormous difference.’
Tomorrow’s weather forecast and news update
Here is the weather forecast for tomorrow, as well as the latest news updates.
Met Office forecast throughout the week
The Met Office has provided a long range forecast for the week ahead.
How hot does it have to be to legally leave work?
Once it gets over a certain temperature, you are legally allowed to leave work.
Record temperatures in Wales
The record for the highest temperature in Wales has been broken.
The current temperature in Portsmouth is 24.3C, according to Gosport Weather Station.
Warning against exercising in a heatwave
An academic from the University of Portsmouth has warned against exercise during extreme temperatures.
Mike Tipton, professor of human and applied physiology, said a person can go from emitting as much heat as a 90 watts lightbulb when at rest, to emitting as much heat as a two kilowatt fire when exercising.
He added: ’We produce a lot of heat when we exercise.
’And we’re now at a temperature where … actually people will warm up, just doing their day-to-day activities in the house, or outside, and cooking, that sort of thing.
‘And so fitter people undoubtedly do better in the heat, but we still see fit people who suffer from heat exhaustion in particular.
‘So the recommendation would be just for the next couple of days, when we’re now in unprecedented temperatures, is just to stop exercising.’
Prof Tipton explained that people overheating through exercise risked putting ’additional load on the health system’.
Data suggests the vast majority of deaths associated with heatwaves occur on those aged 65 and above, and are primarily related to cardiovascular problems as a result of the strain placed on that system by the heat.