UK health agency upgrades to amber heat alert July 28 to 30

The United Kingdom is preparing for its fourth significant heatwave of the summer, with health officials issuing amber alerts for parts of England as temperatures are forecast to climb rapidly this week. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) upgraded its heat-health alert to amber for the East Midlands, East of England, London, and the South East, effective from 9 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, until 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 30. A less severe yellow alert remains in place for the South West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Forecasters predict temperatures will reach 29 to 30 degrees Celsius across the South East on Tuesday, potentially peaking at 35 degrees Celsius in southeastern England on Wednesday. Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Gregory Wolverson described the event as a short-lived spell of heat, noting that temperatures will climb quickly, particularly in the southeast. He said that by Wednesday, some areas could see temperatures in the mid-30s, which would be enough for parts of the southeast to likely meet official heatwave criteria by Thursday. The heat follows a brief respite over the weekend, when some rain fell mainly in northern and western parts of the...