The Met Office has extended its Amber extreme heat warnings for Cheshunt and Hertfordshire through Saturday 27 June, as the region emerges from a rare red alert. Friday will see temperatures climb to 36°C, with the humidity making it feel closer to 35°C, before easing to 31°C on Saturday with sunny intervals and a 30% chance of afternoon showers.
Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Tom Crabtree described the conditions: “The forecast heatwave is developing into an impactful severe weather event, with record breaking June temperatures and very high humidity. The combination of heat and humidity will be oppressive and bring impacts across society from public health and infrastructure, to power and water supplies.” Overnight relief will be limited, with temperatures unlikely to drop below 18°C before Saturday morning, and many urban areas facing a tropical night where the mercury stays above 20°C.
The current June temperature record of 35.6°C—set in Southampton in 1976 and Camden Square in 1957—is expected to fall during this heatwave, which has already triggered operational changes across the county. Hertfordshire County Council closed all its recycling centres between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to shield staff and visitors from the most intense heat. Five community libraries—at Sawbridgeworth, Leverstock Green, London Colney, Redbourn and Wheathampstead—also shut their doors or reduced opening hours.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued Yellow and Amber Heat Health Alerts for the area, warning that the hot, humid air mass can have significant health effects not just on vulnerable groups but the wider population. The RNLI has also cautioned against cold water shock for anyone tempted to cool off in lakes or rivers.
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