MET OFFICE ISSUES A RED ALERT OVER EXTREME HEAT HEADING OUR WAY FROM THIS SUNDAY

The UK Met Office has issued its highest ever RED Alert for parts of England and Wales as the mercury is set to hit new highs this coming week.

From Sunday 17th July the temperatures are expected to steadily climb upwards with highs of 34 Celsius expected on Tuesday and some parts of the UK tipped to hit as high as 40C (104F).

The UK health agency has also raised its alert level from three to four, declaring a national emergency and warnings that the heat could cause illness and death in the general population rather than those just in high risk groups.

Temperatures are not looking to be much better as the sun dips below the horizon, with hot muggy nights forecast and temperatures remaining as high as 25 Celsius in some areas.

Fortunately the heat spike is to diminish as the week goes on, with significantly cooler temperatures from Wednesday onwards.

The public is being urged to take measures to ensure their safety by remaining well hydrated and  staying out of direct sunlight, which could cause severe burns from prolonged UV radiation exposure.

If you do venture into the sun, use a high factor sun cream and if possible, take a bottle of cold water with you. Don't walk your dog in the blistering heat as it could cause burns to paw pads and even heat stroke as dogs struggle more to regulate their temperatures. Ensure your pets have access to both water and shade.

The heat could also cause problems with local transport networks prompting warnings from several rail networks that services could be cancelled at short notice.

Let us not forget that road travel in the area can easily be disrupted as bridges such as that at Barton are notorious for sticking in the heat as metal expands.

As the temperatures rise, some may feel the temptation to take a cooling and refreshing dip in one of our local waterways, which has prompted warnings from Salford City Council over water safety.

Met Office spokesman, Grahame Madge, said:

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“We’ve just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued.

“The warning covers an area from London up to Manchester and then up to the Vale of York.

“This is potentially a very serious situation.”