A yellow heat health alert has been issued for South East England as temperatures are expected to rise over the coming days.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the alert is currently in place from 3pm on Wednesday until 8pm on Monday June 22.
The agency said temperatures in the South East could reach heatwave criteria by the weekend, with the Met Office warning of 30C highs.
Similar alerts have also been issued for the East Midlands, the east of England and London.
A UKHSA spokesperson said Friday is “likely to see very warm, locally hot conditions”, adding there will be a “chance of a few thunderstorms”.
“There is considerable uncertainty for the duration of the very warm conditions however, as a weak weather front moving east into Saturday may bring slightly lower temperatures and fresher conditions,” they said.
“However, there is the potential that the weather front stalls toward the South East allowing very warm or hot conditions to linger across, or near to the far south or South East, perhaps then becoming more extensive again into the following week.”
According to the UKHSA website, a yellow heat health alert means there is likely to be a “greater risk to life of vulnerable people” and an “increased use of healthcare services” by this same demographic.
There is also an “increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm” and a likely rise in water‑related incidents, including “risks from cold‑water shock and drowning”.
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