As the UK experiences an unexpected late-summer heatwave, temperatures are set to soar to 33C (91F) today, making it potentially the hottest day of the year so far. The official heatwave

alert, in effect since yesterday, has been elevated to amber across all regions of England, except for the North East, which remains under a yellow alert.

The six-day heatwave warning, lasting until Sunday night, raises concerns of increased mortality rates and "significant impacts" on vulnerable individuals and the National Health Service (NHS).

Despite these concerns, people across the UK are eagerly heading to parks and beaches to savor the warmth, with temperatures poised to surpass the 2023 record high of 32.2C (90.0F), recorded on both June 10th and 25th.

This surprising turn of weather events comes as autumn begins in an unusually warm manner following a disappointing summer that witnessed the sixth wettest July on record.

The Met Office has identified areas in West Yorkshire, Cornwall, Devon, and Wales that met the criteria for a heatwave yesterday, with more regions expected to join the list today.

While West Sussex recorded the highest temperature yesterday at 30.7C (87.3F), forecasters anticipate that a new record could be set either today or tomorrow.

Thirteen weather stations have already officially marked this period as a heatwave, defined as a minimum of three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the regional heatwave threshold.

Met Office meteorologist Amy Bokota explained, "As you go through the next couple of days, quite a few extra weather stations will be added to that list. We expect 32C today, possibly 33C on Thursday, which is expected to be the peak. It will then remain around 32C until Sunday in some southern areas."

Additionally, temperatures in Northern Ireland and Scotland are projected to reach 27C, with a gradual decrease expected over the weekend and the possibility of thunderstorms in the North and West of the country.

This week's heatwave has the potential to break several September records, including the highest temperature of the year, the highest overnight minimum temperature for September, and the highest number of consecutive September days with temperatures above 30C (86F). However, the record for the warmest September day on record, set at 35.6C (96.1F) in Bawtry, South Yorkshire, in 1906, is unlikely to be surpassed.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan acknowledged the unremarkable summer Britain experienced this year, saying, "This week, it looks likely that we'll see the highest temperature of the year so far." He also highlighted that this is the UK's first prolonged period of hot weather since June, following an unusually wet July. Photo by Funk Dooby, Wikimedia commons.