A rare amber heat-health alert has been issued for the whole of England, with officials warning soaring temperatures mean a ‘likely rise in deaths’ among vulnerable people.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued the amber heat-health alert for the entire country from 12pm Thursday to 9am Monday.
The alert is the second highest, behind red, on the UKHSA’s system, and it warned of the possible impacts on health and social services.
The UKHSA’s weather health alert system provides early warning to the health and social care sector when adverse temperatures are likely to impact the health and well-being of the population.
Temperatures are expected to reach 31C on Thursday and Friday, before peaking at 33C on Saturday, then potentially hitting 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.
All regions in England have been given a risk score of 12 out of 16.
More follows…
