Four English regions are under a 48-hour amber heat health alert as the Met Office forecasts temperatures of up to 31C in London on Monday.
The alert covers London, the East Midlands, East of England and South East from 9am on August 3 until 9am on August 5. The Met Office expects the mercury to peak at 31C in the capital at 3pm, while Manchester is forecast to reach 29C and Cardiff 28C.
The Met Office's Monday outlook states: "Rain affecting much of Scotland on Monday, some heavy. Scattered showers across Northern Ireland and other western areas, though most of England and Wales fine with some hot sunshine. Humid."
Health warning
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that the hot conditions could place additional strain on health and social care provision, leaving vulnerable people at heightened risk. There may be an increase in fatalities, especially among those aged 65 and over or people with underlying health conditions, the agency cautioned.
Indoor spaces could also become dangerously hot, raising risks for vulnerable people living independently in community and care environments. The UKHSA also highlighted dangers associated with water-related incidents, including cold-water shock and drowning.
What an amber alert means
The Met Office clarified: "An amber alert would represent a situation in which the expected impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service, with potential for the whole population to be at risk and where other sectors apart from health may also start to observe impacts, indicating that a coordinated response is required. In addition, in some circumstances a National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS) Extreme Heat warning may be issued in conjunction with and aligned to the HHA. This situation would indicate that significant impacts are expected across multiple sectors."
