UK Issues Heat-Health Alerts as Southern England Begins Multi-Day Heatwave

The UK Health Security Agency has placed amber heat-health alerts over the Midlands, eastern England and southern England until 21:00 BST on 12 July. Yellow alerts are in force across northern England for the same period. The Bbc reported that significant impacts on health and social care services are likely, including a rise in deaths, particularly among people aged 65 and over or with pre-existing conditions.

Parts of southern and eastern England entered a heatwave on Monday after three consecutive days at or above local thresholds. Heatwave criteria were met more widely on Tuesday. Temperatures reached 32.4 °C that day in Teddington, Richmond upon Thames, and in Frittenden, Kent.

Forecasts show highs of 36 °C possible in parts of southern England later this week. Heat is expected to build and spread north and west into Northern Ireland and Scotland until Friday, with peaks in the high 20s °C. South Wales could reach 33 °C on Friday.

Humidity levels are forecast to remain modest compared with the late-June heatwave. A few tropical nights, when temperatures stay above 20 °C, remain possible later in the week in larger towns and cities. Parts of southern England are projected to stay above the local heatwave threshold of 27 °C or 28 °C throughout this week and next.

Some locations could remain in heatwave conditions for as many as 14 days. The Bbc reported that this episode could become one of the longest-lasting since the 1976 heatwave, when multiple English sites recorded 13 to 16 consecutive days above 30 °C.