Yellow heat alert issued for southern England

A yellow heat health alert has been issued for the southern half of England, with forecasters warning of soaring temperatures and potential pressure on health and social care services.

The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), will be in effect from 10am on Wednesday until 10am next Tuesday, covering London, the East and West Midlands, East of England, South East and South West.

The Met Office has warned that some areas are likely to meet official heatwave criteria, with temperatures potentially climbing to 32°C by Friday and continuing into the weekend.

Deputy Chief Meteorologist Dan Holley said the prolonged hot weather would be “quite widespread,” with high humidity and warm nights adding to the discomfort. He added: “By the end of the week, heatwave criteria are likely to be met in parts of England, Wales, and even Scotland.”

This follows a record-breaking June and recent amber alerts, with 34.7°C recorded in London on July 1 — the UK’s hottest day so far this year.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.