Met Office confirms 38C heatwave to continue in these areas on Friday

The Met Office has confirmed the full list of areas that will continue to experience extreme heat on Friday, with temperatures potentially reaching 38°C in eastern and central England. While thunderstorms and heavy rain are forecast for some regions, not all areas will see relief from the heatwave.

Extreme heat warnings remain in force

Two extreme heat warnings — one amber and one red — remain active. The Met Office stated: "Hot and humid weather is expected to continue, with exceptionally warm temperatures both day and night."

The red warning highlights that "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. Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required."

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Potential disruptions and risks

The Met Office warned of possible failures of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, leading to loss of power and other essential services such as water, electricity, gas, or mobile phone services. It added: "Significantly more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to increased risk of water safety incidents."

Travel disruptions are also expected, with "delays on roads and road closures possible, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, with potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays."

Temperature forecast details

The Met Office explained: "Very hot weather will continue to affect much of England. Temperatures by day are widely expected to exceed 30°C, with the hottest areas potentially peaking around 38°C in eastern and central England." Overnight temperatures are unlikely to fall below the high teens Celsius, with some places not falling below the low 20s°C. High humidity will accompany the heat.

Cooler conditions will slowly begin to establish from the west following this period, although very warm conditions are likely to remain across east and southeastern England through Saturday, albeit not as hot as earlier in the week.

Red warning specifics

In its red warning, the Met Office added: "The heatwave which is affecting a large part of England and Wales is set to continue during Friday. The focus of the highest temperatures on Friday is likely to shift towards east and southeastern England, where maximum temperatures in the shade could exceed 36°C, perhaps rising to 38°C in some places. However, following another very warm night, the greatest likelihood of high impacts are expected to be within this Red warning area during Friday."

The heat will be accompanied by high humidity, exacerbating the potential for discomfort and health impacts, with very warm and humid night times reducing the ability for people to recover overnight. "Significant disruption to daily life is likely and the public should take every effort to make precautions and adapt their daily routines where possible to cope with these levels of heat, which up to now have been extremely rare for the UK," the Met Office warned.