An amber heat health alert has been issued for large areas of England, with a yellow weather warning covering the rest of the country. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the alerts will be in effect from 9am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday.
The amber alert, described as an “enhanced hot weather response,” applies to the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East. The UKHSA warned that the high temperatures are likely to have a significant impact on health and social care services. Meanwhile, the yellow alert covers the North East, North West, Yorkshire and The Humber, and the South West.
An Amber alert mean that there is likely to be a significant impact across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:
- a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions.There may also be impacts on younger age groups
- likely increased demand on all health and social care services
- internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment
- the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services
- indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings
- issues managing medicines
- staffing issues due to external factors (for example, affecting transport)
- increased demand for power exceeding capacity
- other sectors starting to observe impacts (for example, travel delays)
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Tom Crabtree said: “Warmth is the focus in the forecast in the first half of this week, with temperatures likely to peak on Tuesday around the mid-30s, but remaining above average in the second half of the week, particularly further to the southeast.
“The exception to the widely warm conditions will be northwest Scotland on Monday, where showers will be more frequent. Warmth will develop there from Tuesday with temperatures peaking in the mid to high 20s.”
Forecast for London
Today (Monday 11 August)
Any isolated mist patches early on will soon clear, giving way to a hot, sunny afternoon with light winds. Temperatures will climb to around 31°C , with coastal areas cooler due to onshore breezes. By early evening, cloud will build from the west, and there is a chance of isolated showers, possibly heavy and thundery in places. Tonight will see these showers moving east before fading towards dawn, leaving clear spells. It will be mild, with lows of around 19–20°C , and breezy along the coast.
Tuesday 12 August
Lingering morning cloud will soon clear, leading to a hot day with long sunny spells. Any early showers will quickly dissipate. Highs will reach around 32–33°C , and it will feel humid, with a warm night to follow.
Wednesday 13 August
A very warm day with plenty of sunshine, reaching around 29°C . There is a small chance of an afternoon shower. Overnight, heavy and thundery showers could develop, and it will remain muggy.
Thursday 14 August
Any early showers will soon clear to leave sunny spells. It will stay warm, with highs of around 29°C . Nights will be mild and humid.
Friday 15 August
Another warm day with sunshine and a small risk of a shower. Temperatures will reach about 30°C , with light winds and mild nights.
An official heatwave is declared by the Met Office when temperatures exceed a specific threshold for three consecutive days.
However, the threshold varies in different areas of the country. In London and parts of the South East, the temperature has to go over 28C for three days in a row for those areas to be in heatwave conditions. For the rest of the South East the threshold is lower, at 27C.
You can see if your area is in heatwave conditions today by typing your postcode into this interactive map:
