Thunderstorms are forecast to disrupt the first weekend of this year’s Wimbledon after a yellow heat-health warning was issued for the weekend.
Temperatures could peak at about 30C (86F) on Saturday, with the weather expected to be humid and muggy before fresher conditions arrive next week, the Met Office said.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office issued a yellow heat-health alert on Thursday for six regions in England: London, south-east England, east Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber.
The alert will be in place until 9am on Sunday.
A Met Office spokesperson said two days of high temperatures could tail off on Saturday evening as thunderstorms sweep across the “spine” of England.
Grahame Madge said: “What’s happening is we have a large area of low pressure which is out to the west of Britain and Ireland and the way that revolves is the area around it is going in an anti-clockwise direction, which is going to have the effects of drawing up quite warm and humid air coming up from south continental Europe.”
He added: “There will potentially be quite spectacular thunderstorms on Saturday running along the spine of England. Then we have a return to fresher conditions once that cold front has moved through.
“We’re not in heatwave territory. The temperatures are high 20s and potentially 30C, which would reach the threshold for a heatwave, but we haven’t got the duration.”
A yellow warning from the UKHSA means there is likely to be an increase in the use of healthcare services by vulnerable people and an increase in risk to health for individuals over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions.
Issuing advice to those heading to the Wimbledon tennis championships, Madge said: “Certainly people should be aware of the heat, particularly as it will feel quite humid and muggy, so that is something for people, especially those with health conditions, to be aware of, hence the warning that’s been issued.
“Particularly be mindful of the thunderstorms, they’re a little way out yet and the forecast can change, but at the moment the forecast suggests quite intense thunderstorms with frequent lightning with potentially large hail and strong gusts, and of course heavy rain. They can be quite intense.”
He said forecasters were still working to determine which exact areas would be affected by the thunderstorms “but at the moment it looks as though it will be a band running south crossing the UK bringing thunderstorms to that central spine of England”.
Fresher conditions were expected at the start of next week, with spells of rain forecast to dampen Wimbledon.
