Heat health alerts issued as temperatures near 30C

Yellow heat health alerts have been issued as temperatures look set to reach around 30C.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) alerts cover East Midlands, East England , London and the South East from Thursday to Saturday.

It warns that expected hot weather may have minor impacts on the health and social care sector.

The Met Office said temperatures of “around 30C are possible in the South East” and that figures in the mid to upper twenties are “more likely in places” across England and Wales.

Figures are set to climb into the low 20s Celsius across parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland over the next few days.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said Wednesday has been “a fine day for many” which is to be followed by a “hot spell for many coming up.”

In an online forecast he said: “Further south and east, after some early morning mist and fog perhaps, we will see plenty of sunshine and that’s going to lift the temperatures widely in to the mid-20Cs and 28C is likely in and around the London area.

“It will be quite a bit cooler for Scotland and Northern Ireland where temperatures here may be 18C or 19C or maybe a bit lower where that rain persists on the west coast.”

Cooler conditions are set to be in place by Sunday but “certainly there will be some high temperatures across eastern England during Friday and Saturday”, he added.

The hot weather comes after well above average rainfall figures in the first half of the month, including a weather warning for rain on Tuesday evening.

Parts of the country have already well exceeded July’s average rainfall figures despite being only halfway through the month.

England had 97% of July’s average rainfall between July 1 and 15, Wales had 65%, Scotland 49% and Northern Ireland 47%.

London has had 154% of its July average already and Dorset 120%. Edinburgh has had only 40% and Dundee 33%.

Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey said: “There are quite big regional differences but overall it’s looking like a wet month so far.

“There is a caveat that, with a dry couple of weeks, by the end of the month things could even themselves out.”

She said that two or three heavy downpours often caused much of a location’s July rainfall totals, rather than a prolonged period of wet weather.

St Swithin’s Day on Monday – traditionally said to predict the next 40 days of weather – was another wet one for much of England and Wales.

But the forecaster said conditions next week would be “changeable” rather than just rainy, with temperatures close to average.