Heat alerts upgraded to amber in five UK regions as 31C highs and ‘torrential’ thunderstorms forecast

Hot weather alerts have been upgraded to amber in five UK regions as temperatures this weekend are forecast to be hotter than Marbella, Ibiza and Tenerife.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has upgraded the alert for hot weather as a “plume of warm air” is set to move in from the south with temperatures likely to soar to 31C.

The UKHSA initially issued yellow warnings for parts of England on Wednesday (7 June) but has now raised the level to amber for the West Midlands, East Midlands, East of England, South East and South West.

Yellow heat alerts are less serious and are used to warn of some disruptions to services, but amber alerts mean the impact of the heat is “likely to be felt across the whole health service and the wider population, not just the most vulnerable”.

A further yellow alert was issued by the UKHSA on Thursday (8 June) for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber regions of England, while a yellow alert for London issued on Wednesday still remains in place.

All alerts will come into force from 9am on Friday (9 June) and end at 9am on Monday (12 June).

The heat health alert has been in force since 2004 and is issued during periods of high temperatures which could affect public health.

The alert currently only applies in England and aims to “reduce the harm extended periods of hot weather can have on health.”

The UKHSA has advised the public to keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day between 11am and 3pm, walk their dogs at cooler times of the day, close windows and curtains in rooms, cover up with suitable clothing and drink plenty of fluids.

The upgraded heat alert comes as the Met Office issued thunderstorm warnings for several regions over the weekend.

A yellow alert has been issued for the East of England, South West England, the West Midlands and North West England, affecting major cities including Manchester, Cardiff and London.

The alert is in force from 2pm to 9pm on Saturday (10 June) with “heavy rain and hail likely to develop”.

The Met Office warned that weather conditions will be “torrential and thundery” bringing 30-40mm of rain in an hour. Where there are multiple showers regions could see in excess of 60mm of rain.

It said there is a “small chance” that homes and businesses could be flooded as a result of heavy rain, and warned of dangerous driving conditions on Saturday due to spray and sudden flooding which could result in road closures.

It has also warned of possible cancellations and delays to rail services where flooding or lightning strikes occur, as well as a “slight chance” of power cuts affecting some homes and businesses.

Oliver Clayden, from the Met Office, said: “There could be some surface water issues that could cause travel disruptions as well as the high gusts across parts of the country.

“This is going to be the warmest weekend of the year, which is to be expected as we go into summer. This weekend will also see hail mixed in with strong gusts of wind and rain hit parts of the country.”

A second Yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Sunday (11 June) between 12pm and 9pm covering a large area of the UK including parts of Wales, England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Some coastal areas are expected be cooler than the peak figures further inland as sea breezes off the North Sea will prevent the highest temperatures building.