Met Office issues ‘danger to life’ 50mph wind warning before heatwave hits

The Met Office has issued a wind warning for part of the UK with gusts of 50mph expected to batter towns for 36 hours.

The yellow warning for wind is in place across Devon and Cornwall in south-west England.

Forecasters have warned that road, rail, air and ferry transport will "likely" be disrupted by strong winds.

The new warning was issued after thunderstorms battered parts of the country earlier this week.

Britons are set to bask in hot and humid weather, with highs of more than 30C expected this weekend amid a potentially deadly heatwave across much of Europe.

One organisation warned that the heatwave could result in more than 100 deaths in the UK.

The Met Office said: "Easterly winds will become increasingly gusty on Wednesday night and remain so through Thursday and into Friday.

"Winds will be particularly gusty over and to the west of high ground with gusts reaching 35 to 40mph widely and as high as 45 to 50mph very locally."

The warning is in place from 12.01am on Thursday to 12pm on Friday.

The "likely" impacts include some delays to road, rail, air and ferry transport, the Met Office said.

Bus and train services will "probably" be disrupted, and drivers of high-sided vehicles should expect delays on exposed routes and bridges.

Temperatures are set to soar in parts of the UK as very hot air from Africa is pulled north over Europe.

Emergency measures have been triggered in France – where highs could top 40C – amid fears that the heatwave could be deadly.

Britain will likely see highs above 30C on Friday and Saturday as a number of major events, including Glastonbury Festival, are held.

Highs of 30C could be seen for eastern parts as far north as Yorkshire.

Temperatures will be in the upper 20s for revellers at Glastonbury.

The Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science warned that heatwave conditions "made more probable by climate change" could result in more than 100 deaths in Britain.

Met Office forecaster Matthew Box said: "There is an enormous reservoir of warm air across Europe at the moment.

"On Friday we will have high pressure over the UK and low pressure out in the Atlantic, and that will bring settled weather conditions across the UK and an easterly flow of air across the southern half of the country.

"Those easterly winds are drawing that warm air from the near continent and that reservoir across the UK and that's why we're getting those warm temperatures.

"We are looking at 28 or 29 degrees, perhaps peaking at 30 here or there on Friday and that will be across western or south-western parts of the UK.

"Then we could see 30 or 31 across eastern areas of England; London and the Home Counties through Lincolnshire and parts of Yorkshire, on Saturday."

The Met Office has urged those attending the music festival at Worthy Farm in Somerset to take extra precautions such as sunscreen and to seek shelter from the sunshine due to high UV levels.

In 2017, the Wednesday of Glastonbury was the hottest day in the event's history, with temperatures hitting 31C (88F) and leading to dozens of people being treated by paramedics.

However, only eight years of the festival – including the first Glastonbury in 1970 – have not seen any rain.

The Met Office said the weather will turn "fresher" from the west on Sunday with showers mainly in the north.

Met Office five-day weather forecast

Wednesday

A dry but cloudy start for many, with the cloud slowly clearing to give warm sunny spells.

Cloud persisting, perhaps, across eastern Wales, the Midlands, and the North Sea coast.

A strong, gusty wind developing in far southwestern parts later.

Wednesday night

Dry with cloud advancing across eastern and central England and flirting with far northern Scotland. Good clear spells elsewhere and chilly in Scotland and northeast England. Windy in the southwest.

Thursday

Dry, increasingly sunny and very warm with the hottest conditions in the west and south.

Cooler on eastern coasts where cloud persists.

Strong, gusty winds in southwest England.

Friday to Sunday

Friday and Saturday, largely dry and sunny.

Very warm for most, hot in parts of the south.

Turning fresher from the west by Sunday with showers, mainly in the north.

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