Heat health alert as parts of UK set for 30C

A weekend heat-health alert has been raised from yellow to a more severe amber warning in eastern and southern England, and the Midlands.

The amber alert - in place from 09:00 BST on Friday - indicates high temperatures could affect all ages and impact the health service.

The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), continues until 09:00 BST on Monday.

Temperatures are forecast to hit 30C and some thunderstorms are expected.

Parts of the country are predicted to be hotter than Marbella, Ibiza and Tenerife in the coming days as a plume of warm air moves in from the south, the Met office says.

A less severe yellow alert, which advises people to check on vulnerable family and friends, is in place for the north of England and London.

The UKHSA first issued a heat alert on Wednesday, but raised it saying the temperatures would rise rapidly in affected areas with temperatures high overnight.

A Met Office yellow warning for thunder is also in place for all of Wales and large parts of southern England from 14:00 BST until 21:00 on Saturday.

This means there is a chance of disruption to travel, power cuts and some localised flooding from the heaviest showers.

During the period of hot weather, the UKHSA advises people to:

A spokesman for the UKHSA said it was difficult to predict the exact impact of higher temperatures on the health service but additional pressure would come from vulnerable groups suffering in the heat.

That includes people over 65, those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions and children.

Ahead of the hot weather, the UKHSA has been in touch with groups which work with older people, such as care homes, to offer guidance.

Andy Cole, the assistant chief fire officer from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Service, urged people to be "vigilant" this weekend and avoid using disposable barbecues or starting campfires.

There was a "record number" of wildfires last year, he said, adding that Dorset and Wiltshire saw a "roughly 400% increase" compared to the year before, with 911 recorded.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Cole said wildfires were "extremely dangerous" and can take a lot of resources from the fire service.

Climate change is making heatwaves in the UK more likely and more extreme.

Last year was the UK's warmest ever - Coningsby, in Lincolnshire, reached a record 40.3C on 19 July.

The UKHSA expects heatwaves are "likely to occur more often, be more intense and last longer in the years and decades ahead".

The new colour-coded alert system, launched last week, is run by the UKHSA and the Met Office and is aimed at reducing illness and deaths among the most vulnerable.

There is one further alert, not yet issued, representing the most serious risk. The red alert means there is a significant risk to life even for healthy people and a severe impact likely across all sectors.

Individuals can sign up to receive alerts directly here, and people can specify which region they would like to receive alerts for.