UK BRACES FOR 37C TO 38C HEAT AS AMBER WARNING ISSUED

An amber weather warning for extreme heat is in effect across large parts of England, Wales and other regions of the UK on Thursday, with temperatures forecast to reach between 37C and 38C. The Met Office warned of potential health impacts, travel disruption, water safety incidents and power outages. The extreme heat warning will remain in force until 23:59 BST across Eastern England, London, the south-east, the Midlands, north-west England, south-west England and parts of Yorkshire and Humber. Some rail operators have urged passengers to travel only if necessary due to heat-related service disruptions.

Amber heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency are in force for the entirety of England until 21:00 BST on Friday, warning of significant impacts across health and social care services, including a rise in deaths particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. Dr Michael Gregory from NHS England advised the public to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm to avoid serious heat-related illnesses. Tropical nights, where temperatures fail to drop below 20C, are forecast as increasingly humid air spreads into western areas. Thursday marks the peak of the UK's fifth widespread heatwave this year, with temperatures in the mid-30s Celsius across most of the warning area.

The heatwave is expected to be short-lived, lasting three days at most, with temperatures beginning to fall away by the weekend. Long-standing temperature records are likely to be broken over the coming days. One report indicated that Wednesday became the first day in August to reach 35C or more, making it the fourth consecutive month to reach this temperature. Nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are currently suffering from drought conditions.