UK weather: Yellow heat health alerts issued for most of England
Yellow heat health alerts have been issued for most of England - with temperatures forecast to hit highs of 33C (91F) this weekend.
Only the North East and North West are exempt from the UK Health Security Agency's (UKHSA) latest warning, which comes into force at 12pm on Wednesday and expires at 6pm on Sunday.
The alert indicates that people with pre-existing health conditions, and those aged over 65, could be at higher risk.
Check the weather forecast where you are
Forecasters say the East of England is likely to see the highest temperatures, which wouldn't be far off the June record of 35.6C (90F) set in 1976.
According to the Met Office, it will get progressively warmer as the week progresses - with the heat peaking on Sunday.
Deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said thundery showers may be possible heading into Saturday morning, with "tropical nights" a possibility as parts of the UK approach heatwave territory.
Those who aren't a fan of the heat will be pleased to know that high pressure is expected to move away early next week - meaning temperatures should fall.
"However, there is uncertainty in how quickly this happens, and the peak temperatures experienced across the UK," Mr Holley added.
The forecast means we are likely to see the hottest day of the year so far - eclipsing the 29.4C (85F) recorded last Friday in Suffolk.
In a delicious twist, ice cream makers have said "it's their Christmas time", with some making fresh supplies around the clock.
But the London Fire Brigade has warned that the hot weather, which follows one of the driest springs on record, also "greatly increases" the risk of wildfires that can spread rapidly.
A heatwave is officially declared when temperatures exceed a certain level for three days in a row - and thresholds vary from 25C to 28C (77F to 82F) across the UK.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.
Please refresh the page for the fullest version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UK records new hottest day of year so far as temperatures soar in heatwave
The UK has recorded a new hottest day of the year so far as temperatures soar amid a heatwave. The Met Office said was a provisional temperature of 33.2C had been measured in Charlwood, Surrey on Saturday. The new high comes after Thursday saw the mercury hit 32.2C in Kew, west London – the previous hottest day of 2025 so far – as the country sweltered under an amber heat-health alert. On Friday, a temperature of 30.8C was reached, triggering an official heatwave across England and Wales after three consecutive days of hot weather. The amber heat-health warning from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), covering all regions of England, remains in place until 9am on Monday. The alert, issued for the first time since September 2023, warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions. Meanwhile, the Met Office said scattered thunderstorms are set to mix with the continued high temperatures, potentially bringing 'frequent lightning, large hail and gusty winds', along with a chance of flooding. The yellow thunderstorm weather warning covering all of northern England, from Nottingham up to above Newcastle, is in force from 3pm on Saturday until 4am the following day. Up to 40mm of rain could fall in less than two hours, the forecaster said, as it urged those in the warning areas to consider whether their location is at risk of flash flooding and to prepare accordingly. The alert, which includes Manchester, Derbyshire and Newcastle upon Tyne, is in place from 5pm on Saturday until 3am on Sunday. In an online forecast, Met Office meteorologist Jonathan Vautrey said: 'Provisionally, Northern Ireland has recorded its warmest June night on record, Friday into Saturday, and this hot and humid air is being dragged up a little bit from parts of continental Europe, but we also have low pressure out in the Atlantic, and that is driving weather fronts across the UK, providing instability in the air and the perfect conditions to start sparking off some thunderstorms as that hot and humid air rises rapidly.' As Saturday continues there may be 'sharp showers' heading north, accompanied by 'a few rumbles of thunder' during daylight hours with 'sunny spells' in between, he added. 'Both Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland all recorded their warmest day of 2025 yesterday. 'For the latter two, it is going to be a slightly less warm day today, a touch fresher, but still certainly around the mid 20s is possible for parts of Northern Ireland and into central areas of Scotland,' Mr Vautrey 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. 'Many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave following Friday's highest temperatures, Becky Mitchell, meteorologist at the Met Office, said. An amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, for all regions in England remains in place over the weekend. The agency has warned that significant impacts are likely across health and social care services, including an increase in demand, during the alert period. Sunday will see a day of 'sunny spells and showers' with highs of around 27C and 28C, Met Office weather forecaster Dan Stroud said. Conditions are expected to feel 'a lot fresher' in the west of the UK whilst remaining 'very warm and humid' in the east, he added. 'For the vast majority of the country, the temperature is going to be much, much closer to the mid, late June average. 'As we move our way through Sunday night into Monday, it's going to feel a lot fresher for us all, a lot more comfortable sleeping conditions.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
UK twice as likely to have hot summer this year, says Met Office
The UK is twice as likely as usual to have a hot summer this year, the Met Office has predicted, warning that there is also an increased risk of heatwaves. The predictions follow the country's sunniest spring on record, with the UK clocking up 630 hours of sunshine since the start of March, in what has also been the driest spring for more than a century. Temperatures soared to 8C above the average for the time of year on Saturday – the last day of meteorological spring – before a potentially hot summer season. Heathrow, in west London, experienced the hottest weather on Saturday, at 26.7C, while levels of grass pollen were very high in the south-east of England. The Met Office said: 'While the current three-month outlook shows an increased chance of a hot summer, the temperature signals for this summer are similar to those for recent years and consistent with our warming climate.' The predictions come from the Met Office's three-month outlook for June, July and August, which provides risk assessments for unusual temperatures, rainfall and wind for government contingency planners and businesses. It is based on an assessment of broad weather patterns across the whole of the UK and factors in recent global weather trends. Nicola Maxey, a spokesperson for the Met Office, said: 'It's not produced as a public forecast for people to look at and work out whether we can have a barbecue in August or a garden party in July. 'At this time of year, global signals influencing UK weather are typically weak,' she added. 'However, consistent with our warming climate and as we have seen over recent years, the current outlook indicates an increased likelihood of above-average temperatures this summer. This is not a guarantee of prolonged hot weather or heatwaves; while we could see more hot days and warm nights than usual, we could also see a mix of cooler days and less extreme warmth.' The outlook shows it is 2.3 times more likely than normal that the UK will be hot over meteorological summer, which begins on 1 June and ends on 31 August. The average temperatures across the UK over those months range from 10-17C, with the south-east of England experiencing the higher averages of 16-17C. This would be in line with a recent trend of unusually hot summers. The last time the UK experienced a 'cool' summer was in 2015. The ongoing extreme marine heatwave in north-west European waters – sea surface temperatures around UK coastlines are 1.5-2.5C warmer than average – may further boost temperatures, although the added warmth and moisture in the air could potentially lead to more intense summer storms. The latest outlook also shows the levels of rainfall and wind speed for the next three months are likely to be near average. Many water companies will be hoping for a wet summer to help avoid the need for water usage restrictions. This week, the Environment Agency declared drought status for the north-west of England following the driest start to spring in 69 years, with many reservoirs in the region at historical low levels for the time of year. Summers in the UK have become warmer, wetter and sunnier in recent decades due to climate change, according to the Met Office's State of the UK Climate report. Observations show that extremes of temperature in the UK have been affected much more than average temperature. The number of 'hot' days (28C) more than doubled and 'very hot' days (30C) more than tripled for 2014-23 compared with 1961-90. Extreme weather events such as the 2022 heatwave, when temperatures in England surpassed 40C for the first time, were made more likely by climate change and are expected to become more common in future.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Emergency services warn of wildfire risk before expected UK heatwave
Emergency services have issued warnings over the increased risks of wildfires before an expected heatwave this weekend, with temperatures forecast to reach 32C in some parts of the UK. Authorities reminded the public to check in with older people and those with health conditions as forecasters predicted a burst of heat expected to peak this weekend before easing early next week. Most places in southern England will reach temperatures above the threshold for a heatwave – recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days – by this weekend. In London – where the threshold is 28C – temperatures could peak at 29C on Thursday and 31C on Friday, before hitting 32C on Saturday. Related: UK twice as likely to have hot summer this year, says Met Office The hot weather will then spread north, with Manchester and Newcastle enjoying temperatures into the late 20s by the weekend. The Met Office said several places were expected to exceed 30C on Saturday, making them the highest temperatures of the year so far. Tony Wisson, a deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Over the next few days, settled weather and warm sunshine will allow temperatures to rise day on day. 'Temperatures will then rise further towards the end of the week as winds turn more southerly and even warmer air over continental Europe will be drawn across the UK. 'While the warmest temperatures are likely across London and the east of England, by Saturday heatwave thresholds could be reached across much of the Midlands, low-lying areas bordering the Peak District and even parts of east Wales.' The London fire brigade has meanwhile issued a warning over wildfires before the prolonged spell of hot weather and following one of the driest springs on record. Charlie Pugsley, deputy commissioner for operational policy, prevention and protection, said: 'Extended periods of hot and dry weather can greatly increase the risk of a grass fire, and particularly when that grass is tinder dry the spread of fire can be rapid. We have seen examples of this in London as well as more recently worldwide, such as in California and South Korea.' Pugsley said he had written last month to the chief executives of each London local authority, 'outlining some key measures they can take, such as to create fire breaks, and to welcome the work that councils are already undertaking'. A drought was declared by the Environment Agency across Yorkshire last week while the north-west of England entered drought status last month. Warnings are also being issued about the risk to people with health vulnerabilities that may be exacerbated by the heat. The UK Health Security Agency issued its first yellow heat-health alert of the year last week to remind health and social care services to prepare. The director of Age UK, Caroline Abrahams, said many older people were looking forward to some warm weather, but that they needed to take extra care as temperatures rose, especially if they have long-term health conditions. She suggested they take simple precautions such as staying out of direct sunlight and keeping hydrated. 'It is also worth doing any daily activities, such as going for a walk, shopping or gardening before or after the hottest part of the day which is between 11am and 3pm. Most of our homes aren't really designed to cope with scorching weather, so it's a good idea to do all we can to keep the cool air in and hot air out,' she said.
