Met Office issues hot weather warning alert for this weekend when temperatures will climb to 30C
A heat health alert has been issued for much of England this weekend, with temperatures expected to reach 30C (86F) on Saturday. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office have issued a yellow heat-health alert to six regions in England: London, the south east, East Midlands, West Midlands, east of England, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The alert will be in place from midday on Friday until 9am on Sunday, with the Met Office forecasting temperatures of 27C to 28C on Friday before they rise to 30C in parts of the country on Saturday. Forecasters predict the high temperatures to be short-lived, with thunderstorms following the heatwave but, should the high temperatures be reached, it is likely there will be an impact on the health and social care sector. It comes after experts revealed that Monday was the hottest day since records began, with the average global temperature soaring to 17.01C (62.62F), a jump from the 16.92C (62.46F) high recorded in August 2016. Tuesday then was then 0.17C hotter, according to University of Maine scientists at the Climate Reanalyser project. A yellow warning from the UKHSA means it is likely there will be an increase in the use of health care services by the vulnerable and an increase in risk to health for individuals over 65 or those who have pre-existing health conditions. Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: 'This weekend, it's important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun. 'The forecasted high temperatures are expected to be short-lived, but could primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions. 'If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.' Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Harris said: 'Temperatures will be on the rise from Friday, with a plume of continental air allowing temperatures to reach, and perhaps locally exceed, 30C in parts of England on Friday and Saturday. 'In addition, temperatures overnight will remain high, especially in towns and cities, which will make for an uncomfortably warm night for some. 'Temperatures are likely to start to drop from the west on Saturday and more widely into Sunday, as showers and thunderstorms sweep north-east across the country.' Researchers have pinned rising temperatures on El Nino, a climate-heating natural weather event that last appeared in 2016, and growing carbon emissions. The double whammy made Monday the warmest day since satellite monitoring records started tracking global averages in 1979. Average temperatures were also at their highest since data collection on weather began towards the end of the 19th century, experts believe. Professor Friederike Otto, senior lecturer at Imperial College London, said: 'This is not a milestone we should [celebrate]. It's a death sentence for people and ecosystems.' Average temperatures across the planet were 2.63F (1.46C) higher this June than they were in the period between 1850 and 1900. Beijing reported nine straight days last week when the temperature exceeded 35C. Provisional figures show the average mean temperature in the UK for June was 15.8C - the highest it's been since June 1940 and June 1976, when the average temperature was 14.9C. Paul Davies, Met Office Climate Extremes Principal Fellow and Chief Meteorologist, said: 'We found that the chance of observing a June beating the previous joint 1940/1976 record of 14.9C has at least doubled since the 1940s. 'Alongside natural variability, the background warming of the Earth's atmosphere due to human induced climate change has driven up the possibility of reaching record high temperatures.' The UK's mean temperature for June 2023 was 15.8C, the Met Office has confirmed. This is some 2.5C higher than average for June. Mark McCarthy, a science manager at the Met Office said: 'It's officially the hottest June on record for the UK, for mean temperature as well as average maximum and minimum temperature. 'June started with a good deal of high pressure and temperatures initially around average for many, but once that subsided, warm, humid air began to influence temperatures, with 32.2C the highest temperatures reached. 'What's striking is the persistent warmth for much of the month, with temperatures widely into the mid 20s Celsius for many and even into the low 30s at times.' A whopping 72 counties recorded their hottest June on record, with many recording temperatures more than 2.5C above average. This includes Orkney, Warwickshire, Surrey, Somerset and Cornwall, according to the Met Office. A rapid study by the Met Office found that these record-breaking temperatures were fuelled by climate change.