Monday’s amber warning was issued by the government. It is the second highest level of amber heat warning. High temperatures are expected in England over the coming days.
A level three “heat-health” alert was announced by the UK Health Security Agency for southern and central England, indicating the need to prepare for a second summer heatwave and potential risks to public health.
Temperatures are “expected to rise throughout the week” and could reach the mid-30Cs in the south of the country, the agency said. The warning will be in force from noon on Tuesday August 9 through 6pm on Saturday August 13.
A level four red alert — which indicates a serious incident requiring an emergency response — was issued in July ahead of the unprecedented heatwave that sent temperatures in the UK above 40C for the first time on record.
The latest warning came as the Met Office forecast another spell of very hot and dry weather for England — conditions that have pushed the country close to a drought. The driest July since 1935 was last month in England, and three water companies announced hosepipe bans.
Last week, the Environment Agency warned that if the heat continued “many parts of England will move into drought”. Environment secretary George Eustice urged for more widespread adoption of hosepipe bans at the weekend
“I strongly urge other water companies to take responsible action to protect and preserve our water supplies during this very dry period,” he wrote in The Sunday Telegraph.
Tony Wardle (Met Office deputy chief meteorologist) said Monday that large parts in the UK could be hit by a heatwave this week. He said that temperatures could reach 35C or 36C on Friday and Saturday. The hottest areas are likely to be in central and southern England and Wales.
The government stated that the dry conditions and high temperatures have increased the risk of wildfires such as those that broke out in July.
Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at the UKHSA, said: “We want everyone to enjoy the warm weather safely when it arrives but remember that heat can have a fast impact on health.”
“It’s important to ensure that people who are more vulnerable — elderly people who live alone and people with underlying health conditions — are prepared for coping during the hot weather,” he added.
Level three alerts require social care and healthcare services to “target specific actions at high-risk groups”.
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