Blitz Bureau
TUESDAY became the hottest day of the year so far as a heatwave continues to affect large parts of the UK. Met Office measuring stations in both Heathrow and Kew Gardens, southwest London, reached 32C (90F) earlier – exceeding the 31.9C recorded in the centre of the city on 19 July.
London, southern England and southeastern Wales are expected to meet the official criteria for a heatwave this week. But the hot weather may be short-lived – with a yellow alert for thunderstorms issued by the Met Office across large parts of both nations later in the week. A Yellow Heat Health Alert has been issued for all areas of England – except for the North East and North West – by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
This is the second of four tiers of alerts – below amber and red – and means the heat is “unlikely to impact most people” but could affect the elderly and vulnerable. The UKHSA has warned the hot spell may make an “observed increase in mortality across the population likely, particularly in the 65-plus age group, but impacts may also be seen in younger age groups”
