Amber heat health alert remains in place with 33C forecast

An amber heat health alert remains place for parts of the UK until 1800 on Wednesday, as areas in England and Wales officially entered their fourth heatwave this summer.

Temperatures will rise into the high 20Cs and low 30Cs, with parts of the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire experiencing the hottest weather with a maximum temperature of 33C forecast on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday brings "a more complex picture", the Met Office has said, as high temperatures coincide with a chance of thunderstorms across northern areas.

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms will be in place for some parts of Scotland between 14:00 and midnight.

The weather warning, issued by the Met Office, covers northern, central and south-east Scotland, where showers are forecast. Conditions could be particularly heavy and thundery.

The downpours could lead to some localised disruption, with road spray and flash flooding leading to difficult conditions.

There are further heavy and thundery showers expected across Scotland and Northern Ireland on Thursday, with an additional yellow weather warning in place from midnight on Wednesday until 22:00 on Thursday.

While Scotland and Northern Ireland will not technically be in a heatwave, due to the three consecutive day rule, temperatures there are still well above the average for the time of year with a forecast of 25C to 29C on Wednesday.

The threshold is 25C for most of the UK, but rises to 28C in London and its surrounding areas, where temperatures are typically higher.

Areas in south-west England, south-west Midlands, north-west England and East Anglia already met the heatwave criteria, by having three consecutive days above a certain temperature.

An amber heat health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office, means the weathers impacts are likely to be felt across the health service. It is under these circumstances that we can see an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65, or those with pre-existing health conditions.

Amber alerts are in place for London, the South East, East of England, West Midlands and East Midlands. A yellow heat health alert is in place for the South West, North East, North West and Yorkshire and the Humber.

Climate change is making heatwaves like those parts of the UK and Europe have experienced this summer more frequent and intense.

Extreme weather events in Europe should be treated as "a health emergency, not just a climate one", a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group that looks into the health impacts of climate change said on Wednesday.

Citing a 2023 report, the Pan-European Commission on Climate and Health said that heat-related mortality in Europe has increased by 30% in the past two decades, with more than 100,000 deaths recorded.

There is no current law in the UK for maximum workplace temperatures, although employers have an obligation to keep them at a comfortable level.

Trade union Unite has called for the introduction of a maximum working temperature to be set at 30C and for work to be stopped where temperatures cannot be controlled indoors or when no protection - such as shaded areas - can be provided outdoors.

Overheating can lead to heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Heatstroke is considered to be a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.

Older adults, young children and people with long-term health conditions are especially at risk.

Highest temperatures of 2025:

The heat will ease for most on Thursday with some thunderstorms and some cooler, less humid air into Friday - but temperatures could rise again into the weekend.

Thursday will still be a very warm day for eastern and south-east England, with temperatures reaching 29C. Elsewhere the forecast temperatures will be slightly lower at 24C to 27C.

Friday could be hotter again with temperatures rising back above 30C in south-east England and to mid to high 20s elsewhere across England and Wales.

It then stays very warm into the weekend. While cloudy at times, especially in the mornings over the coming days, there will still be lots of sunshine for most of us.

The lack of any significant rain into next week is another concern, especially for farmers and growers, as well as for those in areas experiencing a drought and hosepipe bans.

England is suffering widespread environmental effects from the shortage of water, which is hitting farms, damaging wildlife and increasing wildfires, the national drought group - which includes the Met Office, regulators, the government and water companies - said.

The group met on Tuesday as Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire, Greater Manchester Merseyside and Cheshire, East Midlands, and the West Midlands experienced drought.

North-east England, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Thames, Wessex, Solent and South Downs are currently classed as areas "in prolonged dry weather", the phase before drought.

Droughts began to occur earlier than expected this summer following a long period of low rainfall and the sixth driest spring since records began in 1836.

Millions of people in England are now under hosepipe bans aimed at limiting water consumption.