The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a heat health alert for all regions of England as the country braces itself for another heatwave this week.
The Met Office said temperatures were expected soar and hit the mid-30s by the end of the week, with a possible top temperature of 36C on Saturday.
It comes weeks after the UK was gripped in a severe heatwave as tempertures hit a record-breaking 40C and a succession of fires to broke out across the country.
Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said that temperatures will be rising “day after day” and that as the week progresses the whole of the UK is likely to see warm, hot conditions. He added: “It does look like a prolonged period of dry weather and obviously that’s bad news for southern England where some rain would really be useful now.”
The low levels of rain have already prompted several water companies to announce hosepipe bans and others have warned they may need to follow suit.
The Met Office’s fire severity index (FSI), an assessment of how severe a fire could become if one were to start, is very high for most of England and Wales, and will reach “exceptional“ for a swathe of England by the weekend.
