The Met Office has extended a rare red heat warning for the West Midlands, indicating the heatwave will last longer than initially forecast. The original warning, in place from 9am on Wednesday, June 24, until 9pm on Thursday, June 25, has been extended by three hours to 11.59pm on Thursday.
Red Warning Extended Across West Midlands
The red warning covers Birmingham, the Black Country, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Herefordshire due to an 'exceptional spell of hot and humid weather.' Forecasts now show more full sunshine on Friday, rather than the rain previously expected, with temperatures remaining high.
When Will the Heatwave End?
The Met Office predicts highs of 34°C on Wednesday, 36°C on Thursday, and 34°C on Friday. Overnight temperatures will not drop below 20°C. The intense heat is expected to ease over the weekend as cloud moves in, but further extensions are possible.
According to the Met Office: "The weekend will see a gradual transition to a more westerly influence with temperatures dropping towards the high 20s Celsius on Saturday and drop further on Sunday and into the start of next week."
Temperature Drop by Sunday
Saturday will see highs of 28°C in the West Midlands. By Sunday, temperatures could be 13°C cooler, with highs of 23°C. The following week is expected to be warm but cloudy, with highs of 21°C.
Detailed Forecast for Birmingham
Wednesday: Dry with strong sunshine, very hot day, light winds, high humidity. Maximum 34°C.
Wednesday night: Staying dry and very warm, muggy night. Minimum 19°C.
Thursday: Dry, warm, sunny start, even hotter with extreme heat and high humidity. Possibly cloudier in afternoon. Maximum 38°C.
Friday to Sunday: Another hot day Friday, temperatures slowly coming down through weekend. Lots of dry, sunny weather, but risk of thunderstorms.
