Four heat health alerts have been issued for parts of the country as Britain faces sweltering 30C temperatures this week.
The mini heatwave has sparked the UK Health Security Agency to sound the alerts for large swathes of the UK.
The 54-hour yellow warning, in place from 5pm on July 18 to 11pm on July 20, coincides with the rise of temperatures and covers London, the south east and east of England, and the East Midlands.
The government agency has warned of ‘minor impacts across the health and social care sector’ which could ‘increase the risk of mortality amongst vulnerable individuals’.
Scorching weather will be a welcome break from the summer deluge in a month that has already been hit by 97 per cent of July’s average rainfall.
It comes as people enjoyed themselves punting along the River Cam as the sun beamed down on them in Cambridge today.
CAMBRIDGE — People enjoy the punting tours along the River Cam today as the sun beams down
CAMBRIDGE — The warm sunny weather has been a welcome break from the summer deluge
CAMBRIDGE — A mini heatwave is expected to hit parts of Britain this week, wit hheat health alerts issued for four areas, including in Cambridge where people were out on the River Cam today
The predicted forecast has sparked the UK Health Security Agency to sound a 54 hour heat health alert for large swathes of Britain
The south-east of England and London will bear the brunt of the heat where the mercury could reach 30C by Friday.
Milder weather is predicted to return by Sunday with Met Office spokesperson Nicola Maxey warning night-time temperatures could stay in the low 20Cs for parts of south-east England.
They are officially classified as ‘tropical nights’ if they do not drop below 20C with possible health implications for the elderly or infirm.
It is in place from 5pm on July 18 until 11pm on July 20 with the government agency warning of ‘minor impacts across the health and social care sector’ which could ‘increase the risk of mortality amongst vulnerable individuals’.
Ms Maxey said there was still uncertainty over how soon the milder conditions would come in, with the possibility that the south east could retain its heat a little longer than elsewhere.
Meanwhile, parts of the country have already well-exceeded July’s average rainfall figures despite only being halfway through the month.
The Met Office spokesperson said England had 97per cent of July’s average rainfall between July 1 and 15, Wales had 65 per cent, Scotland 49 per cent and Northern Ireland 47 per cent.
London has had 154 per cent of its July average already and Dorset 120 per cent. Edinburgh has only had 40 per cent and Dundee 33 per cent.
Ms Maxey said: ‘There are quite big regional differences but overall it’s looking like a wet month so far.
‘There is a caveat that, with a dry couple of weeks, by the end of the month things could even themselves out.’
The forecast for today shows a scattering of showers further north this morning with London and Norwich set to see temperatures reach 20C by 11am
A mini heatwave is set to hit parts of the country this week as Britons are warned of 30C sweltering heat and uncomfortable tropical nights
BRIGHTON — The return of the hot weather will no doubt see droves of sunbathers line the pebbled beach on the Sussex coast as pictured above in June
LONDON — Women relaxing on a sunny day in Battersea Park at the end of June
BRIGHTON — Beach goers enjoy the sun on the Sussex beach when temperatures reached 30C at the end of June
She said that two or three heavy downpours often caused much of a location’s July rainfall totals, rather than a prolonged period of wet weather.
St Swithin’s Day on Monday – traditionally said to predict the next 40 days of weather – was another wet one for much of England and Wales.
But the Met Office said conditions next week would be ‘changeable’ rather than just rainy, with temperatures close to average.
Rebekah Hicks, Deputy Chief Meteorologist at the Met Office said: ‘A change of weather type is on the way over the next 24 hours, with high pressure in the east drawing up warmer air from the continent over the next few days.
‘Although temperature may be near normal in the northwest, it will be turning very warm in the south and east, with maxima of up to 30C in southeast England on Friday.
‘The nights are also expected to be very warm in the southeast on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures potentially staying above 20C in some places overnight.
‘The heat doesn’t look to last long though, as a frontal system pushes the warm air away and things turn more unsettled at the weekend.’