The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a yellow heat health alert as temperatures are forecast to hit 30C in some regions, bringing muggy conditions and uncomfortable nights.
Heat Health Alert Details
The warning will be in place from 3pm on Wednesday, June 17, until 8pm on Monday, June 22. The UKHSA warned of a "greater risk to life of vulnerable people" and potential impacts such as increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable individuals, indoor environments becoming very warm, and an increased risk of water-related incidents.
The alert covers London, the South East, the East of England, and the East Midlands.
Temperature Forecast
The Met Office has indicated that temperatures in the South East could reach heatwave criteria by the weekend. Jonathan Vautrey, a meteorologist at the Met Office, stated: "By Friday there is potential for 30C across parts of south-eastern England."
He added that the exact temperatures will depend on cloud cover, as there will be a reasonable amount of cloud around at times. "Those temperatures are going to be rising nonetheless and, with that, it’s also going to be increasingly humid," he said. "I think people will certainly be noticing how muggy it starts to feel during the second half of this weekend, and some quite uncomfortable nights for sleeping well, with overnight temperatures in the high teens across south-eastern areas of England."
A UKHSA spokesperson noted on Monday, June 15: "Friday is likely to see very warm, locally hot conditions for south-east and some eastern areas of England, with higher humidity and the 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."
There is also a possibility 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 becoming more extensive again into the following week.
Regional Breakdown
The West Midlands, parts of the West Country, and areas of Wales are likely to experience warm temperatures around the mid-teens by the end of the week. Scotland and Northern Ireland, however, are expected to see more cloudy weather and rain over the course of the week, with temperatures unlikely to rise above 20C to 21C.
Regions Covered by the Heat Health Alert:
- London
- South East
- East of England
- East Midlands
