Parts of England are set to swelter in a fresh heatwave this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 32C by the beginning of next week.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat in the East of England, London and South East England, South West England, and Wales on Monday and Tuesday.
A series of UK Health Security Agency amber heat health alerts came into force across the South East, the East of England, London, and the South West on Thursday and are in place until 8pm on Tuesday.
UKHSA also issued yellow alerts for East Midlands and West Midlands, which means a greater risk to the lives of vulnerable people and higher demand for health and care services.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: “Sustained periods of warm weather can result in serious health outcomes, especially for older adults, and it is therefore important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.
“We are urging health and social care services in affected regions to ensure they are prepared, and reminding people to look out for elderly relatives, neighbours, and those with underlying health conditions, making sure they are aware of the forecast and following the necessary advice.”
Areas in the southeast of England are expected to approach 30C on Friday, while temperatures climb to the mid-twenties elsewhere.
Scotland and Wales will see cooler weather throughout the day, where it is not expected to rise above 20C.
Some areas are likely to meet heatwave criteria by Saturday and more widely on Sunday.
A UK heatwave threshold is met when a location records at least three consecutive days on which daily maximum temperatures meet or exceed the heatwave temperature threshold. The threshold varies by UK county. In London and the South East, that threshold is 28C or 27C.
Saturday weather
On Saturday, temperatures are forecast to fall slightly, but could still hit 28C in the southern parts of England.
Across the rest of England and parts of Wales, temperatures will stay in the low to mid-twenties. The weather will be cooler in Scotland, staying below 20C throughout the day.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster, Gregory Wolverson, said: “As we move towards the weekend, we’ll see conditions become more widely settled and temperatures rise all round. Many parts of southern and eastern England are likely to see temperatures high enough to meet heatwave thresholds.
“While temperatures may be high, we might not all see the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we experienced back in May because there is more cloud around. There is also a chance of thunderstorms developing in places, particularly later each day, which could bring heavy showers and localised impacts.”
Sunday weather
On Sunday, London and southeastern areas are due to see a return to 30C, while other areas of England and Wales will experience temperatures reaching around 25C.
Temperatures will stay in the mid-teens for the northern parts of Scotland, but could climb above 20C in the southern areas.
Much of Northern Ireland will approach 20C on Sunday afternoon.
The weather is set to get hotter for most of the country on Monday, with 32C forecast in the southeast. Another scorching day is expected on Tuesday, when temperatures will again climb to 32C.
An amber warning for extreme heat will come into force at 1am on Monday, as the Met Office warns that very high temperatures will likely bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure. It will be lifted at the end of the day on Tuesday.
Last month, the UK sweltered in an early summer-style heatwave, during which at least 15 people, including children, died in open water.
Mr Wolverson said: “This week’s weather reflects a contrast we often see in summer, with more unsettled conditions passing to the northwest of the UK while heat builds in the South and East.”
Meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey warned rising temperatures and humidity would be likely to come with overcast skies for many.
“But those temperatures are going to be rising nonetheless,” Mr Vautrey added. “And with that, it’s also going to be increasingly humid this time around.
“So I think people will certainly be noticing how muggy it starts to feel during the second half of this weekend, and some quite uncomfortable nights for sleeping well, with overnight temperatures in the high teens across southeastern areas of England.”
Last month’s record-breaking heatwave had the “fingerprints of climate change all over it,” a leading climate scientist told The Independent, warning that the UK government must do much more to adapt to the new reality.
