An amber warning for extreme heat has been issued by the Met Office for Thursday, as some parts of England face temperatures of up to 38C.
The forecaster has issued the warning for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday as temperatures are to climb to 37C or 38C in some places.
It is the latest surge in heat in a summer marked by extreme weather, with a record dry July for England and Wales, widespread drought and multiple heatwaves.
Fire chiefs have warned of sustained fire risk in the hot, dry conditions, with July the busiest on record for wildfires and firefighters responding to 185 wildfires in the first 10 days of August.
The Met Office says that after a warm night, a spell of “very hot weather” will affect England on Thursday, with the highest temperatures in parts of the East, South East and Midlands, potentially affecting transport, infrastructure and health.
Met Office chief forecaster Chris Bulmer said: “While the peak heat will be more short-lived than recent heatwaves, temperatures widely into the mid-30s Celsius on Thursday brings the potential for impacts for some, which is why a Met Office warning has been issued.
“High pressure is now becoming dominant and temperatures will build day-by-day. Southerly and south-easterly winds will also tap into the hot conditions over Europe which helps develop this further notable heat in what has been a hot and dry summer so far for many in the south of the UK.”
The Met Office warning highlights the likely health impacts of the latest spike in temperatures, as well as the risk of incidents in open water, travel disruption and the potential for power cuts.
Amber health heat alerts are already in place for most of England including the Midlands, South East, North West and South West, and a yellow alert is in force for the North East from Tuesday morning until Friday evening.
Officials have urged people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.
There are warnings older people are more at risk from the extreme heat, with Caroline Abrahams, Age UK’s charity director, saying that as people age, their bodies find it harder to adapt to extremes of heat and cold.
“Even younger and otherwise healthy people can feel the effects of very hot weather, but with temperatures forecast to reach up to 36°C in some areas, the risks can be much greater for older people,” she said.
She urged people to check in on older neighbours, friends and relatives to see if they need support such as picking up the shopping or lending them a fan.
The UK is battling with the growing spectre of worsening extreme weather fuelled by climate change, which is mostly driven by burning fossil fuels for power plants, vehicles, home heating and industry.
Record-breaking heatwaves in May and June led to the deaths of more than 2,800 people, while parts of the country were hit with further heatwaves last month as England and Wales endured their driest Julys since records began in 1836.
Almost three quarters of England and the whole of Wales are now in drought, with farmers struggling with a lack of water, 27 million customers under hosepipe bans, the risk of wildfires and the impact on nature.
The Environment Agency said 71.3% of England is experiencing “flash drought”, as a dry start to August followed the country’s driest July on record.
Flash drought is one which develops very quickly because of a combination of very low rainfall and high temperatures.
The agency said the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs became the latest areas to move into drought on Monday.
Firefighters have been battling a series of fires across the UK, including one in the New Forest National Park, Hampshire.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service said on Tuesday that crews had worked through the night, battling a challenging change in wind direction, and were managing to contain the fire, which started after a van caught fire on the A31 near Ringwood on Sunday.
The area hit by the blaze is protected heathland and home to a number of rare species, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said on Monday night that crews were attending “multiple wildfire incidents”, including at Cwmavon Woods in Blaenavon, Wattsville in Sirhowy Valley and Abernant in Aberdare.
Firefighters have responded to 966 wildfires across England and Wales this year, including 185 in the first 10 days of August alone, while July was the busiest month on record for wildfires with 458 incidents, the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said.
The NFCC said prolonged periods of hot dry weather can increase the risk of wildfires and put pressure on fire and rescue services, as it urged people to take steps such as avoiding the use of disposable barbecues, taking litter home and disposing of cigarettes safely to reduce fire risk.
Phil Garrigan, chairman of the NFCC, said: “We’ve dealt with almost 1,000 wildfires already this year and we’re only 11 days into August.
“The combination of drought conditions and another heatwave means the risk of fires remains high, and these incidents can place huge demands on firefighters and specialist resources.
“I’d like to thank firefighters and fire and rescue staff across the country, who have been responding to a high volume of challenging incidents in extremely difficult conditions throughout the summer.
“Many wildfires are preventable, so we’re asking people to be vigilant and take extra care outdoors while these conditions continue.”
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