Alerts issued as 38°C 'extreme heat' forecast

THE Met Office has warned that a heatwave affecting Wales is developing into a “severe weather event” after issuing a second amber extreme heat warning within four days.

- HOLLY MORGAN & ROSIE SHEAD

The Met Office said the baking heat could last until at least Thursday, sparking weather warnings, health alerts and concerns for vulnerable people.

It means that, as of today, the counties of Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Powys, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Torfaen, and the Vale of Glamorgan, are all facing four consecutive days of extreme heat warnings with temperatures of up to 37°C hitting South Wales - and with even higher maximums of 38°C expected over the border in England.

An amber “extreme heat” warning had already been issued for the 13 Welsh counties listed above from 1am today until tomorrow 11.59pm tomorrow.

But a further warning was issued by the Met Office yesterday, covering much of Wales from midnight on Wednesday until 11.59pm on Thursday.

The new warning covers all the above Welsh counties, as well as Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire, Gwynedd, the Isle of Anglesey, Swansea, and Wrexham. Pembrokeshire is the only Welsh county not to be covered by a warning.