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| Heatwave: Met Office upgrades warning for South East | Heatwave: Met Office upgrades warning for South East |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The Met Office has upgraded its heatwave warning in parts of the UK, as temperatures are set to rise above 30C (86F). | The Met Office has upgraded its heatwave warning in parts of the UK, as temperatures are set to rise above 30C (86F). |
| It said they could reach "Level 3 heat-health watch criteria" in London and the South East, requiring healthcare services to help high-risk groups. | It said they could reach "Level 3 heat-health watch criteria" in London and the South East, requiring healthcare services to help high-risk groups. |
| Conditions in other areas of England and Wales may come close to triggering a higher alert but it is less likely. | Conditions in other areas of England and Wales may come close to triggering a higher alert but it is less likely. |
| Much of the UK has been basking in hot weather for more than a week. | Much of the UK has been basking in hot weather for more than a week. |
| While the warm weather has been welcomed by sunbathers, sport watchers and barbecue fans, health officials said the heat could be dangerous for the very young, elderly, pregnant women and seriously ill. | |
| The hot weather has also caused problems for drivers and rail passengers in parts of England this week, after road surfaces melted and tracks buckled in the heat. | |
| In other developments: | |
| The "Level 3" warning - only one notch below the most serious alert - is part of the heat-health watch system, which is intended to put health, housing, social care and other public bodies on alert in case of a heatwave. | |
| The trigger temperatures that see local plans put into action to protect those susceptible to the heat vary according to location. | |
| In north-east England it is 28C, in Wales 30C and in London 32C. The night-time trigger temperatures vary from 15C to 18C. | In north-east England it is 28C, in Wales 30C and in London 32C. The night-time trigger temperatures vary from 15C to 18C. |
| Alerts are triggered when threshold temperatures have been reached for one day and the following night, and the forecast for the next day has a greater than 90% confidence level that the day threshold temperature will be met. | Alerts are triggered when threshold temperatures have been reached for one day and the following night, and the forecast for the next day has a greater than 90% confidence level that the day threshold temperature will be met. |
| There have already been two Level 3 warnings issued this summer. Scotland and Northern Ireland are not included in the alert system. | |
| BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said a heatwave, according to the World Meteorological Organization, occurred when temperatures were five or more degrees above average for at least five days. | BBC weather forecaster Chris Fawkes said a heatwave, according to the World Meteorological Organization, occurred when temperatures were five or more degrees above average for at least five days. |
| He said the UK was already in a heatwave and the alert was essentially a health warning, telling healthcare professionals to watch out for vulnerable people. | |
| Forecasters predict it could hit 32C in the London area on Wednesday, with a few isolated showers possible later. The UK 2013 record is 31.5C and this was measured at Seavington in Somerset on Saturday. | |
| While most places will be largely dry and very warm on Wednesday, northern and western parts of the UK will be cloudy. | |
| Health officials in England are advising people experiencing the very hot weather to stay cool, drink lots of cold fluids and keep an eye on those they know to be at risk. | |
| Dr Angie Bone, who is leading Public Health England's heatwave plan, said its efforts involved health and social care workers in the community; hospitals and care homes regularly checking on vulnerable patients; sharing sun safety messages; and making sure room temperatures were set below 26C. | |
| Under the plan, officials ensured patients had access to cold water and ice, and that medicines were stored in a cool place, she added. | |
| The NHS says the main risks posed by a heatwave are dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. | The NHS says the main risks posed by a heatwave are dehydration, overheating, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. |
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