Amber heat health alerts have been extended further across several parts of England as the UK heatwave intensifies.
Amber alerts are now in place until 9am on Wednesday for the West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East Midlands, the east of England, the South East, the South West and London, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office.
Previously, the alert had covered London, the East Midlands, the South East and the east of England only, and it was in place until 6pm tomorrow.
Alerts provide an early warning system to authorities and the public to show when temperatures may hit dangerous levels. They are colour coded from green (no alert), yellow, amber, to red (emergency response).
A yellow alert indicates that weather conditions may affect vulnerable people, while an amber alert warns that conditions could impact the wider population, putting pressure on health services. A red alert signifies a significant risk to life for the whole population.
The updated amber alerts come as continental Europe braces itself for its first major heatwave of the summer, with temperatures expected to reach 42C.
The extreme heat is thought to be exacerbated by a heat dome, where a high-pressure area stays over the same area for days or weeks, trapping warm air underneath like a lid on a saucepan. As warm air becomes compressed over a smaller region, temperatures become hotter and hotter.
Temperatures are set to soar to 34C in London and south-east England, while temperatures are expected to climb above 30C across other parts of England, including Manchester, Sheffield, Bristol and Cambridge.
Monday is set to be one of the hottest June days ever, as temperatures have only surpassed 34C in three years since 1960. The hottest June day so far was 35.6C, which was recorded on 28 June 1976.
“These high temperatures and humid conditions will be quite uncomfortable for those working outside as well as people leaving Glastonbury and attending the start of Wimbledon and other outdoor events. Stay hydrated and try to keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day,” Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen said, adding that peak heat is expected on Tuesday in the South East.
“It won’t be hot everywhere, with a marked difference in north-western parts of the UK.”
London is at risk of wildfires, and health and social care services across England are expected to be impacted significantly.
“As the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly,” London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said, adding that firefighters have already been called to 14 wildfires in London this year.
It is also provisionally the hottest start to Wimbledon on record, with 29.7C recorded at nearby Kew Gardens, the Met Office said.
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