Amber heat health alerts issued with UK temperatures set to soar above 30C

Image source, Getty By Simon King , Lead Weather Presenter  and  Ben Rich , Lead Weather Presenter Published 18 June 2026, 04:07 BST Updated 4 hours ago Amber heat health alerts have been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) with a potential heatwave set to develop this weekend. The amber alerts cover the east, south-east and south-west of England as well as London, and are valid from 12:00 BST on Thursday until 20:00 on Tuesday. Yellow alerts are valid across the Midlands during the same times. Temperatures are set to climb above 30C (86F) during Friday and then again from Sunday - with the potential that some locations in the south and east of the UK may enter official heatwave conditions. Amber heat health alerts are issued when high temperatures are likely to have a significant impact on health and social care services. They suggest there is likely to be an increase in deaths, especially among those aged over 65 or with long-term health conditions. Image source, BBC Weather Image caption, Amber heat health alerts have been issued for southern and eastern England On Thursday temperatures are expected to rise to around 25-28C (77-82F) across the Midlands, East Anglia and south-east England, where there will also be some sunshine. A few showers are possible in the south-east, some of which could be heavy and even thundery. Cloud and showers will affect areas further north and west, with temperatures around 17-24C (63-75F), closer to the average for mid-June. There will be another bout of wet weather on Friday in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with some rain also affecting northern and western areas of England and Wales. Image caption, Friday will bring very high temperatures across southern and eastern England However in southern and eastern England heat is expected to build further on Friday with temperatures potentially rising as high as 31C. Saturday will be less hot but by Sunday and Monday temperatures will rise again, perhaps touching 32 or 33C (90-91F). Sunny spells are likely but the heat may also spawn a few big thunderstorms. There is uncertainty about the forecast into the middle of next week but many computer weather models allow heat to linger, especially in the south. It is likely that some places will reach their official heatwave criteria - three consecutive days of temperatures above a threshold, which varies from 25 to 28C (77-82F) across different parts of the UK. What is the definition of a heatwave? Published 24 April 2025 Are 'heat spikes' becoming more common? Published 29 May What is a 'heat dome' and why does it lead to high temperatures? British weather is being influenced by a large and potentially record breaking heatwave developing across western Europe caused by a static area of high pressure. The high pressure can act like a lid causing warm air to get trapped underneath it. This leads to already warm or hot air becoming hotter and hotter, creating a so-called "heat dome". In the coming days temperat