The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued new heat-health alerts for six UK areas this week due to ongoing hot temperatures.
A yellow 'risk to life' alert will come into force at 9am on Friday, July 24, and remain in place until 9am on Sunday, July 26.
Impacts of the alert
The UKHSA warning indicates minor impacts are expected across health and social care services, including increased use of healthcare services by vulnerable people, greater risk to life of vulnerable people, increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm, and water-related incidents may increase, including risks from cold-water shock and drowning.
Throughout the summer, the UKHSA can issue heat-health alerts of varying severity - yellow, amber or red - when high temperatures are expected to affect people's health.
Areas affected
The yellow health warning is in place across East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East of England, and London. The North East, North West, and Yorkshire have no alerts.
Met Office weather maps show temperatures reaching highs of around 29C over the weekend, with the hottest areas being London and south east England. By Sunday, peak temperatures are forecast to drop to 25C.
Dry spell and water restrictions
The alert comes as the UK continues to experience a prolonged dry spell. Thames Water became the latest firm to announce a hosepipe ban this week, leaving around 23 million people across England facing water restrictions.
The heatwaves and lack of rain are intensifying pressure on water resources, with hot weather pushing up demand as people consume more to stay cool, water gardens, sustain crops, and protect infrastructure.
The Environment Agency said “prolonged dry weather” has been declared in East Anglia, the West Midlands, Devon, Cornwall, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire and London, Wessex, Thames, Solent, and the South Downs. This means these eight areas are one stage away from official drought status.
Six reservoirs are also classed as having “notably low” levels, including Wimbleball in Somerset, Grafham in Cambridgeshire, and Hanningfield in Essex. Only 13% of rivers are classed at normal levels for this time of year, with the Avon (Hampshire), Cam, Derwent (Yorkshire), Swale, Tone, Wye, and Yare seeing exceptionally low levels.
