A Yellow Heat-Health Alert has been issued for the East Midlands as temperatures are expected to rise significantly across the region from Thursday 18 June.
The alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency, means the hot weather could affect the health and wellbeing of some people, particularly those who are older, vulnerable, or have existing health conditions.
It covers the East Midlands, East of England, London and the South East, and remains in place until Monday.
The Met Office says temperatures are expected to climb steadily through the week, with many parts of southern and eastern England becoming very warm by the weekend. Across the East Midlands, conditions are expected to become increasingly warm and humid, with temperatures widely reaching the high 20s Celsius and the potential for heatwave thresholds to be met in some areas.
The wider UK weather picture remains mixed and unsettled at first, with outbreaks of rain affecting many areas on Wednesday and into Thursday. Some of the heaviest rain is expected further north and west, while the East Midlands is likely to see a mixture of cloud, brighter spells and humid conditions.
From the end of the week, a north–south split is expected to develop. High pressure over mainland Europe will allow warmer, more humid air to build across southern and eastern parts of the UK, including the East Midlands, while lower pressure near the northwest keeps conditions more changeable elsewhere.
Temperatures are forecast to rise more widely through the weekend, with the highest values expected in southern and southeastern England, where 32°C could be reached on Sunday and 33°C on Monday. While the East Midlands may not see the very highest temperatures, the region is included in the heat-health alert area and is expected to experience notably warm conditions.
Gregory Wolverson, Deputy Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, said: “This week’s weather reflects a contrast we often see in summer, with more unsettled conditions passing to the northwest of the UK while heat builds in the south and east. As we move towards the weekend, we’ll see conditions become more widely settled and temperatures rise all round. Many parts of southern and eastern England are likely to see temperatures high enough to meet heatwave thresholds.
“It’s important to note that while temperatures may be high, we might not all see the wall-to-wall sunshine and blue skies we experienced back in May because there is more cloud around. There is also a chance of thunderstorms developing in places, particularly later each day, which could bring heavy showers and localised impacts.”
The Met Office says heat across central and western Europe is helping to feed warmer air towards the UK as conditions build towards the weekend.