Say farewell to the hot weather… temporarily! People in Britain will soon experience cooler temperatures as they decrease and rain is expected to come – although briefly.

Britain is expected to experience a cooldown today following a scorching heatwave that posed a ‘risk to life’ and reached its peak on Tuesday. However, temperatures in some parts of the UK could climb close to 30C again by the week’s end.

Sunseekers basked in searing 34.7C in St James’s Park, London, yesterday afternoon as the UK saw its hottest day of the year reached.

Across England, specifically in the seaside counties of Essex and Kent, temperatures soared well above 33C, with a scorching 34.4C recorded in Writtle. This reading nearly broke the record for the hottest July 1 on record in those areas.

The exceptionally high temperatures marked the conclusion of a blistering heatwave that prompted the deployment of an amber alert. According to the Met Office, this alert indicates a ‘potential risk to life and property’.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) had activated a five-day warning starting on Friday due to concerns that there could be ‘a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions’.

And while that alert has been extended until 9am today, much of the UK is expected to simmer from the boiling temperatures that have scorched Britain, with rain now forecast in some parts.

However, the heat in more southern areas could return with a vengeance by this weekend as forecasters are already predicting that the south east could be sizzling again come Friday.

Delivering an update on the weather across the UK going into the rest of the week, Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said there was still a lot of humidity in parts of the UK.

She said southern areas of England would hold at around 17C or 18C yesterday evening which would make for ‘another uncomfortable night for sleeping’.

Ms Nasir added: ‘[Tuesday into Wednesday], rain will ease towards the North Sea but still quite murky across Scotland, northern England, even the Midlands and eastern counties.

‘It’ll be cooler towards the north west with one or two showers, but yet again a muggy night down towards the south where we could see temperatures holding around 17C or 18C, so another uncomfortable night for sleeping.

‘Temperatures are probably a degree or so lower than last night, even so.

‘First thing [Wednesday] morning more clouds and some showery bursts are likely in the south. Generally a lot of clouds across eastern counties with some wet weather coming and going.

‘It could actually intensify for a time with the risk of thunder through the morning before it clears towards the east.

‘And then brighter skies for many as we head through the day with some sunshine, but showers will develop in situ, particularly for Northern Ireland, as well as Scotland and one or two for northern England.

‘But a fine end to the day further south, temperatures not as high which is good news towards the south east where it’s been fairly oppressive.’

As the week continues, temperatures in the UK’s south east look set to keep rising as the weekend approaches, with London predicted to hit 28C on Friday.

Commuters to the city on Wednesday morning should keep in mind that there is a chance of rain starting from 7am, which is 50 to 60 per cent likely to occur after 10am until midday.

Elsewhere, the south coast should remain at around 23C until the end of the week, while places like Birmingham and Manchester will sit in the low 20s.

Further north, Newcastle is set to face a significant downpour as the city’s temperatures will hold at around 20C until the weekend, which also looks set to be gloomy and cloudy.

And in Glasgow and Edinburgh, rain is expected from today until Sunday with temperatures across Scotland’s central belt peaking at around 19C. Belfast is expected to be a similar climate.

Meanwhile for Cardiff the sunny weather is set to continue into the weekend but things will quickly turn showery on Saturday and Sunday.

The hottest-ever temperature for England was recorded on July 19, 2022, when Coningsby, Lincolnshire, saw an astonishing 40.3C reached.

Monday’s heat of 33C almost surpassed the hottest ever June day of 35.6C which was recorded in Southampton in 1976.

And yesterday’s temperatures almost beat the hottest ever July 1 on record, which was in 2015 when temperatures hit 36.7C.

By 1pm yesterday the mercury had hit 33.5C (92.3F) at East Malling in Kent – making it the UK’s hottest day of the year so far – beating the 33.2C (91.8F) on June 21 recorded in Surrey.

Bedfordshire Council even said its gritters had been dispatched to protect the roads and provide grip for drivers amid fears the heat could cause the Tarmac to soften.

Parts of southern England sweated through a tropical night, which happens when temperatures stay above 20C (68F) overnight into the morning.

Some tennis fans slept in the early heat after sunrise as they queued for day two of Wimbledon, with British number one Jack Draper and reigning women’s champion Barbora Krejcikova starting their campaigns at the All England Club today.

And commuters on the London Underground faced travel chaos after a fire alert at South Kensington, which saw the Circle line completely suspended and the District and Hammersmith & City lines both part-suspended.

A driver on one tube yesterday told passengers in an announcement that the fire was likely caused by the heat. 

An investigation by MailOnline revealed that the temperatures on the underground surpassed the legal limit at which the UK Government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency says it is too hot to transport livestock.

So, while the heatwave officially ended yesterday, conditions will remain warm – with 25C (77F) today, 26C (79F) on Thursday, 28C (82F) on Friday and 24C (75F) this weekend in London.

The hottest day of 2024 was 34.8C (94.6F) in Cambridge on August 12; while the peak in 2023 was 33.5C (92.3F) in Kent on September 10; and the 2022 high was 40.3C (104.5F) on July 19 in Lincolnshire – the UK’s highest temperature on record.

An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three days in a row, with thresholds varying from 25C (77F) to 28C (82F) in different areas.

The sweltering heat meant Monday was one of the hottest June days ever, with UK temperatures for the month only surpassing 34C (93.2F) in only three years since 1960.

The hottest June day ever was 35.6C (96.1F), recorded on June 28, 1976.

Monday was also the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 29.7C (85.5F) being recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens. 

The previous record at the tennis championships – 29.3C (84.7F) – was set on June 25, 2001.

It marks the second heatwave for parts of the UK this month, with scientists warning searing temperatures of 32C (90F) earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier.

They said heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change, and experts have warned heatwaves are ‘silent killers’, with the impacts of heat severely underestimated.

They also say that the UK is unprepared for the rising risk of extremely hot conditions that climate change is bringing – especially earlier in the summer, when people are less acclimatised to coping with it.

Professor Richard Allan, from the University of Reading, said the UK was on the edge of a ‘large dome of heat’ over continental Europe which was driving the heat wave, while ocean temperatures were also up to 2C above average to the south-west of the UK and ‘hotter still in the western Mediterranean’.

‘The ebb and flow of gigantic atmospheric waves have generated the stable, cloud-free conditions for heat to build up across western Europe,’ he said, but added that rising greenhouse gas levels due to human activities were making heat waves more intense.

Temperatures have climbed above 40C in countries including Italy, Spain and Greece, with holiday destinations such as Rome, Milan and Naples under the highest heat alert, while Greece is on high wildfire alert.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: ‘The current spell of hot weather is forecast to continue until the middle of this week, with temperatures above 30C likely in most regions of England.

‘We are reminding everyone to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.

‘Remember that it is very important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable, as the temperatures we are likely to see over the next few days can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions.’

Dr Friederike Otto, associate professor at Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said climate change was an ‘absolute game-changer’ for heat in Europe, making heat waves more frequent and more intense.

‘Heat waves are called the silent killer, for a reason, every year thousands of people in Europe die due to extreme heat, particularly those that live in poorly insulated homes, on busy, polluted roads, and that already have health problems,’ she said.

‘But extreme heat also leads to agricultural losses, infrastructure failure and puts a big strain on plants and animals.’

Meanwhile, the Business Secretary has said the UK does not need additional workplace laws which would allow Britons to be sent home during hot weather.

Jonathan Reynolds said ‘behavioural changes’ like drinking plenty of water and staying protected in the sun were more important.

There is no law nor guidance in the UK for minimum or maximum acceptable workplace temperatures, but employers must follow health and safety law to keep temperatures at a reasonable level.

Mr Reynolds suggested a law change was not needed when asked if workers should be sent home in the event temperatures climb too high and there is no mitigation like air conditioning in place.

He said: ‘It is a hot day today for a northerner like myself. I’m struggling a little bit with it.

‘There are existing laws in place, the health and safety acts, around what a safe workplace should be. I don’t think we need more legislation in that area.’

He added: ‘Obviously, some behavioural changes, making sure people are hydrated, obviously are duly protected if they work, particularly outside.

‘I think we have got to make sure that we’re doing that. We shouldn’t need additional laws.’

Conservationists and green experts have warned of the wildfire risk of the heatwave as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record.

Retailers warned that fruit and vegetable prices in Britain have increased due to the hot and dry weather reducing harvest yields. 

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) said this jump had contributed to shop prices having returned to inflation for the first time in almost a year.

Overall shop prices were 0.4 per cent higher in June than a year earlier – a significant jump from the decline of 0.1 per cent seen in May, according to the BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index.

Food inflation increased to 3.7 per cent from May’s 2.8 per cent in May, while fresh food was 3.2 per cent more expensive than a year ago.

Meat prices have also been hit by high wholesale prices and more expensive labour costs.

In terms of wildfires, Ben McCarthy, head of nature conservation and restoration ecology at the National Trust, said: ‘With record-breaking temperatures across the country this week following the driest spring on record, our ranger and countryside teams are on high alert for fires which can cause decades of damage to habitats, decimate ecosystems and result in significant losses to our wildlife.

‘Unfortunately, the sad truth is that most of the fires in the UK that impact our landscapes are started by people, whether accidentally or not, rather than by natural causes.

‘Therefore, we’re calling on people to help us protect wildlife and habitats by acting responsibly when outdoors, as even a small spark can cause a fire, and to please call 999 if you see a fire or any suspicious behaviour.’