UK drought warning as amber health alerts in place over 34C temperatures

The UK is bracing for scorching temperatures as the fourth heatwave of the summer is set to hit. Forecasts predict highs of 34C on Tuesday. Amber health warnings have been issued across much of England due to the heat. Parts of the South, including Berkshire, Oxfordshire, and areas on the fringes of London like Heathrow, could see the thermometer soar to 34C.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a series of heat health warnings across England, with regions such as the East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, London, and the southeast being escalated to amber from 9am on Tuesday until 6pm on Wednesday. Less severe yellow heat health warnings have been put in place for the remainder of England.

The agency has cautioned that the intense heat could have significant repercussions on health and social care services, potentially leading to an increase in mortality rates, especially among individuals over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions.

Temperatures on Wednesday could climb to between 33C and 34C in eastern parts of England, including Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, and East Anglia, while Thursday might bring highs of 29C to 30C in London and East Anglia.

Heathrow recorded Monday's peak temperature at 31.9C.

Typically, seasonal averages in Britain range from 18C to 22C, with London experiencing slightly higher averages of up to 23C.

Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst remarked on Monday that the country is currently experiencing day two of the heatwave, with an "overall a very hot, very warm week to come" ahead.

According to the Met Office, a heatwave is a period during which temperatures reach or exceed a certain threshold for at least three consecutive days.

This stands at 25C for most of the UK, but climbs to 28C in London and its surrounding area, where temperatures are typically elevated.

He added that lower pressure to the west and higher pressure to the east of the country are generating a southerly airflow, which is pulling in hot and humid air from Europe.

The near continent is experiencing high temperatures with France hitting the low 40Cs on Monday.

"As we go through the week, there's lots of sunshine and the air isn't really going anywhere ... that sort of then hangs around," he added.

"It's drawing in at the moment and then sort of stays across the UK for the rest of the week."

Fire spread around three hectares of grass in Wanstead Flats, east London, on Monday afternoon.

Wales may see its hottest day of the year on Tuesday, but temperatures are not expected to break 2025 records in other parts of the UK.

England's high for 2025 stands at 35.8C recorded in Faversham, Kent, on July 1.

On Monday, officials warned that England is suffering from "nationally significant" water shortages despite rain in July.

The national drought group - which includes the Met Office, regulators, Government, water companies and other organisations - has met as five areas of the country remain in drought, with six more in prolonged dry weather status. England is grappling with extensive environmental and agricultural repercussions due to water scarcity, which is affecting crop yields, diminishing livestock feed, harming wetlands and river ecosystems, and escalating wildfires, the group reported.

Specialists caution that climate change is fuelling more severe weather patterns in the UK, exacerbating droughts and dry periods, and intensifying the frequency and severity of heatwaves.