The UK has recorded the hottest day of the year so far – but temperatures are set to climb further.
The Met Office said a reading of 32.2C was clocked in Kew, west London, on Thursday afternoon.
The new high came less than an hour after a previous high recorded earlier on Thursday afternoon when temperatures in Wisley, Surrey, reached 30.8C.
Met Office forecaster Dan Stroud warned that the mercury could rise further to a possible peak of 34C in the coming days.
It comes after the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued an amber heat-health alert, warning that a rise in deaths is likely.
The warning is in place for all parts of England from 12pm Thursday to 9am Monday.
As the Met Office confirmed the news that Thursday marked the hottest day of the year so far, firefighters issued a warning over wildfires in London – after two blazes broke out on green spaces in the capital in the space of two hours.
Around 25 firefighters were called to New Road in Rainham just before 2pm on Wednesday, where around two acres of shrubland and trees were alight. Just over an hour later, fire crews were then mobilised to another fire nearby on Upminster Road North, in which around six hectares of grassland were damaged.
London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “With temperatures exceeding 30C and the driest spring in over a century, the risk of fires spreading rapidly is high.
“With so many of our open spaces close to homes and livelihoods, it is vital we all play our part to reduce the chance of grass fires breaking out in the first place and to protect our communities from incidents.”
Temperatures are expected to peak on Saturday after potentially reaching highs of 34C, with temperatures also set to be in the low 30s on Sunday, the Met Office said.
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.
In addition to health agencies, charities have also issued warnings, with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) encouraging people with heart conditions to take precautions to minimise potential health risks.
Age UK has also urged people to check in on older relatives, friends, and neighbours to see if they need anything and to make sure they are not feeling overwhelmed by the excessive heat.
According to the Met Office, temperatures have hit 30C somewhere in the UK in eight of the last 10 years.
Describing extreme heat as a “growing killer”, Friends of the Earth campaigner, Denis Fernando, said: “Heatwaves already claim thousands of lives in the UK each year and wreak havoc on our services, infrastructure, farming and nature.”
“Yet the government’s climate adaptation plan is dangerously weak, with even its own advisers warning the UK isn’t prepared for what’s to come,” Mr Fernando added.
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