Urgent heat health alert issued for whole week as 6 areas brace for 30C scorcher

An urgent health alert has been issued for a whole week with six regions across the UK being told to brace for a 30C scorcher.

The warning, issued by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and Met Officeofficials, said older and vulnerable people are at greater risk and might need to make use of NHS services. Officials are issuing the warning in order to give an early warning to the health and social care sector amid concerns of an impact on the health and wellbeing of the population. The warning comes as parts of the country could see the mercury upbeyond 31Cby Friday.

The South East is expected to be the worst affected region in the country with the South West and Wales experiencing 28C and the North of England around 29. Scotland and Northern Ireland are expected to see temperatures of around 26C.

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Health bosses have issued yellow heat health warnings across six regions of the UK. The alert will begin at 10am on Wednesday and will run until 10am on July 15.

Regions affected by health alerts

• East Midlands
• West Midlands
• East of England
• London
• South East

According to the UKHSA, there could be an increase in the number of deaths - particularly among those aged 65 and over, or with health conditions. It will also be possible that an increase in demand for health services.

The heat could also affect people's ability to carry out work and deliver services. Vulnerable people could also face a higher risk in indoor environments that become too hot. There are no other health alerts for other regions of the country.

Weather today and beyond

Met Office meteorologist Clare Nasir said today the heat is "intensifying" with a "heatwave on the way." She added: "Temperatures will slowly rise, helped with some sunshine, and by Friday most parts of the country, even the north and west of the country, even in the north and the west of Scotland, seeing that sunshine.

"Temperatures arrive around 26 to 31 degrees...For the time being it's pleasant outside, although damp across western Scotland up towards the north with some patchy rain and drizzle, clipping the far north and north west.

"Northern Ireland cloud rolling ahead of it and we could see some dampness in the air, particularly across [the] Pennines through into the early hours of Wednesday morning. For the rest of the country it's a dry one, clear skies onwards the south, temperatures holding up 11C to 13C.

In its long-range forecast for between July 13 and July 22, the Met Office said warm or hot weather would settle across the UK. "Early next week, a transition to less hot conditions is expected, but with uncertain timing," it said.

"This could bring an increasing chance of some rain or showers, perhaps thundery, but there is scope for very warm or hot conditions to persist in more eastern and southern areas."