A yellow heat health alert has been issued for the southern half of England over the next week, with temperatures once again set to soar. The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), will be in place from 10am on Wednesday until 10am next Tuesday.
The warning covers London, the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, South East and South West. "Significant impacts" are likely across health and social care services due to higher temperatures over the period.
Heatwave criteria expected
The Met Office warns some areas will reach heatwave criteria and possibly see temperatures in the low 30s by the end of the week. It comes after two amber heat health alerts were issued in consecutive weeks at the end of June amid two separate heatwaves.
The UK saw its hottest day of the year so far when 34.7C was recorded at St James's Park in central London on July 1. The capital also experienced the hottest start to Wimbledon on record.
Record-breaking June temperatures
Provisional Met Office figures also showed England had its warmest June on record last month. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
Dan Holley, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "High pressure from the Atlantic will gradually exert its influence over the UK this week. We'll see temperatures build day-on-day, with the potential for hot conditions to become quite widespread by the end of the week and into the weekend."
Temperature surge through the week
On Wednesday, temperatures could reach up to 28°C in parts of England, climbing to 30°C on Thursday and 32°C by Friday. By this stage, heatwave criteria are likely to be met in parts of England and Wales, and in parts of Scotland over the weekend.
"High temperatures are likely to persist into the weekend, especially away from coasts with onshore winds, reaching the low 30s in portions of England and Wales, and accompanied by rising humidity and warmer nights," Holley said. The latest upcoming heatwave was likely to last longer than previous ones so far this summer and affect a wider area, while pollen and UV levels will also be very high in some areas.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
