The UK is preparing for a third heatwave of the summer, with a yellow heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the southern half of England. This alert is in effect from Wednesday at ten in the morning until the following Tuesday at ten in the morning. Regions including London, the East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, South East, and South West are particularly affected as temperatures are predicted to soar into the low thirties by the week’s end.

Health officials warn that this heat may lead to significant impacts on health and social care services. Paul Coleman, a Consultant in Public Health at UKHSA, has advised the public to take sensible precautions when outdoors, particularly as moderate heat can have serious health consequences for older adults. To mitigate the effects, Yorkshire Water has announced a hosepipe ban commencing Friday.

Previous heatwaves in June have led to amber heat health alerts, with the current summer projected to be among England’s warmest on record, as indicated by initial Met Office figures. An official heatwave is declared when specific areas reach a certain temperature over three consecutive days, with thresholds varying across different regions.

Sky weather producer Jo Robinson indicates that high atmospheric pressure will cause temperatures to rise daily, affecting much of central and southern England, Wales, and parts of Scotland. While temperatures may reach thirty degrees Celsius and above for five consecutive days from Thursday, they could peak at around thirty-two degrees Celsius on Friday and over the weekend. Robinson notes that while the heat will be significant, it is described as homegrown rather than imported from the continent, meaning it is unlikely to surpass the highest recorded temperature of thirty-five point eight degrees Celsius from early July.