Heatwave to continue as grass fires break out in London ... with 33C temperatures and thunderstorms on the way

Forecasters expect a slightly cooler weekend than in recent days, followed by a surge to 32C (89.6F) or possibly 33C (91.4F) in the South East on Monday and Tuesday.

The hot weather has taken its toll with grass fires breaking out in parts of London.

Firefighters have tackled dozens of grass fires since Wednesday afternoon, including at Mitcham Common on Thursday when flames burned through grass and gorse in an area the size of four football pitches.

London's burning: Firefighters tackle a grass fire on the edge of Epping Forest near Wanstead The capital will have a little respite from the extreme temperatures this weekend, feeling fresher with more cloud and breezes coming in from the North Sea and temperatures reaching 24C on today and 26C on Sunday.

James Wilby, a forecaster with MeteoGroup, said: "Sunday will be warmer, with 29C in the southern counties, but Monday will be the warmest day, with 32C (89.6F) possible just south of London, and perhaps 33C (91.4F) in localised areas," Mr Wilby said.

"Tuesday will see similar conditions to Monday, but on Wednesday and Thursday it will be between 26C (78.8F) and 28C (82.4F)."

Showers and thunderstorms will hit the South West tomorrow, spreading through western parts of the UK on Monday. By Tuesday heavy, thundery rain will be more widespread, and thundery showers are expected to cover most of the country by Wednesday, Mr Wilby said.

Despite the prolonged heatwave, temperatures are unlikely to top the high of 36.5C (97.7F) recorded in Surrey in July 2006.

Damping down: firefighters put out a grass fire on the edge of Epping Forest on Friday The Met Office has warned of an "elevated risk" of fires in the countryside following six consecutive days of plus-30C temperatures and a dramatic reduction in the average monthly rainfall.

The heatwave is believed to have caused up to 760 premature deaths already across Britain.

Level three heatwave health warnings have been issued for western parts of the country. The South East, East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber are at level two. The North East and East remain at level one.

Police and fire chiefs have reiterated warnings about escaping the heat by swimming in open water after a number of deaths in recent weeks. Four people died in separate incidents on Tuesday in lakes, rivers and the sea in Norfolk, the Shropshire-north Wales border and Cornwall.

Hot stuff: the mixed bathing ponds of Hampstead Heath attract the crowds Officers in Lincolnshire reported another death yesterday afternoon, after a woman was pulled from the sea in Skegness.

Emergency services were called to the beach area behind the Beachcomber on Roman Bank, Ingoldmells, shortly after midday.

Officers said the 69-year-old woman's death was not being treated as suspicious.

Elsewhere, a four-week-old baby was among 10 children admitted to one hospital with sunburn since the period of hot weather began.

Six of the 10 patients - of which the oldest was 14 - needed specialist treatment after being referred to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, from other hospitals because of the severity of their burns.

The balmy temperatures have also proved difficult for some motorists, with roadside recovery firms reporting a spike in weather-related breakdowns.

Elsewhere wildfires have also seen emergency services stretched.

Crops due for imminent harvest are said to be particularly vulnerable to blazes.

Insurers have warned wildfires could put lives at risk and cost millions of pounds in damaged crops and machinery.

Farmers have been urged to ensure that their fire extinguishers are well maintained and to reduce the risk of combine harvesters catching fire by regularly cleaning the machinery to remove chaff and dust.

Source: http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/heatwave-to-continue-as-grass-fires-break-out-in-london--with-33c-temperatures-and-thunderstorms-on-the-way-8722691.html

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