London weather sees heat health alert issued with temperatures soaring to 30°C

It's feared the heat will lead to an increased demand on health services.

The end of one of the most miserable summers in recent history is in sight as temperatures are set to soar by the end of the week.

The weather in the capital and across the UK has been pretty dire so far this summer, with consistent low pressure bringing heavy winds, clouds, rain and thunderstorms, and bang average temperatures.

Wimbledon crowds spent most of the tournament huddled under umbrellas, and we’ve even had a yellow weather warning for heavy rain and thunderstorms this week.

Our fortunes are about to change and temperatures are about to pick up – but unfortunately for some parts of the UK this comes with a health warning.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts for London and the east of England which come into effect at 5pm on Thursday, July 18.

Yellow warnings are in place in London, the south east, the east of England and the East Midlands.

They will be in place until 11pm on Saturday, July 20, and it’s feared the heat will lead to an increased demand on health services.

A UKHSA spokesperson said: ‘Minor impacts are probable across the health and social care sector, including: increased use of healthcare services by the vulnerable population; increase in risk of mortality amongst vulnerable individuals and increased potential for indoor environments to become very warm.’

The Met Office currently doesn’t have a fully detailed forecast for the end of this week, but it warns that western areas will see outbreaks of rain while elsewhere is ‘largely dry and turning very warm or hot for many’.

A spokesperson added: ‘High pressure in the east draws up warmer air form the continent over the next few days.

Temperatures will peak at around 30°C in parts of the southeast by Friday.

‘A frontal system pushes the warm air away through Sunday where temperatures will fall towards the low 20s.’

While the sun-worshippers amongst us may enjoy dusting off their sun loungers and factor 30, some vulnerable groups including the elderly struggle a lot in hotter weather, which could lead to overheating, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Advice to help manage the warm temperatures includes:

• Keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm
• If you are going to do a physical activity (for example exercise or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler such as the morning or evening
• Keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• If you do go outside, cover up with suitable clothing such as an appropriate hat and sunglasses, seek shade and apply sunscreen
• Drink plenty of fluids and limit your alcohol intake
• Check on family, friends and neighbours who may be at higher risk of becoming unwell, and if you are at higher risk, ask them to do the same for you
• Know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else has them

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