UK heatwave: England under heat health alert with temperatures set to reach 29C – but rain on the way
Yellow temperature health warnings are in place for parts of the UK despite rain forecast this weekend.
Warnings came into force at 9am on Friday and will continue until 9am on Sunday, covering the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, east of England and London.
The UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) said hot weather could impact health and social care services and put vulnerable people at risk.
Health chiefs also warned water-related incidents, including risks of cold water shock and drowning, could increase.
Temperatures on Saturday are expected to be 29 degrees in London and 28 degrees in Birmingham and Norwich, but rain is also expected.
This follows three consecutive heat waves and one of the driest springs on record, with a nationwide tornado ban in place.
Showers are expected to hit Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Saturday evening and spread across the United Kingdom on Sunday.
Met Office chief forecaster Steve Willington said: “High pressure has been a key feature of the UK weather forecast over the last few weeks, bringing above-average temperatures and extremely dry conditions for many.
“However, we will start to see a modest change on Saturday when a weak weather front moves southwards across the UK, bringing much-needed rain, albeit light and mostly concentrated in the North and West. A torrential airmass behind the front will bring potentially heavy showers, some of which may be thunderstorms.”
Met Office deputy head of forecasting Greg Wolverson said colder weather could be expected from Sunday but temperatures would still remain average for this time of year.
“Although there is a return to rain in the forecast, we have just come out of an extremely dry spell and rain is unlikely to be widespread or significant,” he said. “Many areas, particularly the south of England, are likely to continue to experience prevailing dry conditions for the foreseeable future.”
The heat warning comes as millions of motorists are expected to hit the roads for summer getaways this weekend. The AA said around 6.3 million motorists planned to travel more than 100 miles between Friday and Thursday.
The Port of Dover is expecting another busy weekend but has worked to fix delays caused by new EU border controls.
Meteorology weather forecast
Saturday
A band of rain moving south-east in Scotland, gradually turning into showers. Dry, sunny and very hot weather continues in the southern regions, while brighter, fresher conditions continue in Scotland.
Sunday to Tuesday
Sunday is fresher for everyone with sunny skies and showers. It will continue to be variable in the North at the beginning of next week, but will be potentially dry and very warm again in the South.
