Amber heat health alerts issued with UK temperatures set to soar above 30C
BBC News 2026-06-18 09:17:50
Context: The UK is set to experience a heatwave this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar above 30C in some areas. The east, south-east, and south-west of England, as well as the Midlands, have been issued with amber heat health alerts by the UK Health Security Agency. These alerts are valid from 12:00 BST on Thursday until 20:00 on Tuesday.
Key Facts
- The UK Health Security Agency has issued amber heat health warnings for the east, south-east, and south-west of England, as well as the Midlands, which are valid from 12:00 BST on Thursday until 20:00 on Tuesday.
- Temperatures are set to climb above 30C during Friday and then again from Sunday, with some locations in the south and east of the UK potentially entering official heatwave conditions.
- The Met Office reported that last month's heatwave was "one of the UK's most extreme high temperature events in our observational records", with a temperature of 35.1C recorded at Kew Gardens in London.
- A large and potentially record-breaking heatwave is developing across western Europe, caused by a static area of high pressure that can act like a lid, causing warm air to get trapped underneath it and leading to a "heat dome".
- By Sunday, temperatures in parts of France, including Paris, could exceed 40C, potentially breaking the June temperature record of 37.6C set in 1947.