The Met Office has extended the heat-health warning until Friday July 23 as the hot weather continued to bake the UK.
Sizzling temperatures have sparked an amber extreme heat warning from the Met Office and a Level 3 heat-health alert from Public Health England.
The Met Office said the mercury is expected to push 30C (86F) across southern and western England and 25C (77F) in Belfast with temperatures forecast to be slightly cooler in the east.
It comes after England reached its hottest temperature of the year on Tuesday – 32.2C (89.96F) recorded at Heathrow Airport in west London.
#Wednesday will be another hot and #sunny day for many with extreme heat warnings still in force in the west ☀️⚠️🌡️
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 20, 2021
There is a risk of #thunderstorms in the afternoon, though they will be less likely than Tuesday⛈️
More details in your #4cast 👇 pic.twitter.com/6qUxBcncIb
The previous high for the year was 31.6C (88.88F), which was also recorded at Heathrow on Sunday.
An amber extreme heat warning remains in place for central and southern England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Dr Owen Landeg, Scientific and Technical Lead at PHE, said: “Everybody can be affected by high temperatures and most people are aware of good health advice for coping with hot weather. However, it’s important to keep checking on those who are most vulnerable such as older people and those with heart or lung conditions.
“As we experience the first hot weather episode of the year, it’s important for everyone to remember to adapt their behaviours. This is particularly important during the pandemic with many people self-isolating.
“Most of us want to enjoy the sun. Remember to look out for signs of heat exhaustion and follow our simple health advice to beat the heat.”
While much of England is set to sizzle on Wednesday, scattered thunderstorms are forecast to return across the country’s east.
However, the wet weather is not expected to be as serious as the downpours which saturated south-eastern and central England on Tuesday.
As of 5am on Wednesday, the Environment Agency has 17 flood alerts – meaning flooding is possible – in place throughout parts of London, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
