An amber heat health alert has been issued for large parts of England, with authorities warning soaring temperatures over the weekend are likely to cause a rise in deaths.
The UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA’s) latest heat health warning comes as hot and dry weather scorches the country, with temperatures set to rise further over the weekend.
The alert came into effect on Friday and will cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England and London until 9am on Monday, following two other amber alerts issued in consecutive weeks at the end of June amid two separate heatwaves.
Less severe yellow alerts had been in place across England until Monday, but were upgraded in five regions on Friday morning.
The UKHSA says “significant impacts are likely” in the affected areas, including a “rise in deaths.”
It adds that this is particularly likely amongst those ages 65 and over or with health conditions, with younger age groups the next most likely to be affected.
The agency also notes that health and social care services are likely to struggle with higher demand due to the heat. This includes temperatures in hospitals and care homes exceeding recommended levels, alongside difficulty to staff in delivering essential services.
The amber alerts are due to end at 9am on Monday.
Most regions in the UK have been grappling with high heats for much of July, with temperatures are set to remain at these levels at least over the week.
The Met Office has said heatwave conditions are expected to be met in much of England, Wales and parts of Scotland by the end of the week (13 July), with temperatures set to “build day on day.”
This will mark the third heatwave of the Summer, however experts do not anticipate the coming weather event will exceed the high of 34.7C seen at the start of July.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist, Jason Kelly, said: “High pressure from the Atlantic will lead to a build in temperatures over the coming days, with heatwave criteria reached by the weekend.”
“This heatwave is expected to be longer lived and extend further north and west into a larger part of the UK than previously seen this summer.”
"Temperatures are expected to peak over the weekend and ease early next week. They are expected to reach 30°C in some areas today and exceed 30°C more widely tomorrow (Friday), with peak temperatures on Saturday of 33°C possible in parts of England and Wales.”
Households in Yorkshire were the first to be hit with a hosepipe ban on Friday after months of little to no rain, with restrictions following in Kent and Sussex.
Yorkshire Water brought in restrictions on using hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools, which it said is part of its efforts to protect supplies in the face of yet more dry weather forecast for the coming weeks.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) issued warnings over the risk of wildfires and tragedies in water amid the hot weather.
The fire service has responded to 23 wildfires this year, four of which occurred this week, including one in Rainham on Thursday where 80 firefighters responded to tackle a blaze spanning nine hectares.
The risk of wildfires in London is currently rated at “severe” by the Natural Hazards Partnership.
