A heat health alert is in place in parts of Britain this weekend. Wales is expected to see daytime temperatures of between 21 to 23 degrees on Saturday and Sunday according to the Met Office, making it one of the warmest weekends of the year so far.
The Met Office says people in Wales should expect it to feel “very warm” from Friday into the weekend with a chance of thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday. The current forecast for Wales for the weekend reads: “Long sunny spells on Friday once early morning cloud clears. Becoming windy. Feeling very warm with temperatures climbing. Chance of heavy showers, perhaps thundery on Saturday and into Sunday.”
Wales could be comparatively mild though in comparison to some temperatures across the UK. In London, the Midlands and in the east and south of England temperatures are expected to get so hot over the weekend that the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a heat health alert from Friday to Monday.
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From June 9 at 9am to June 12 at 9am people are being instructed to check on vulnerable loved ones due to the heat. This first alert - graded yellow - means this weekend's heat could affect the particularly vulnerable, including the over-65s and those with an underlying health condition.
Dan Harris, deputy chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "Temperatures will rise later this week and into the weekend, with a plume of warm air being drawn in from the south. Temperatures over the weekend could peak around 30°C in some parts of England and remain well above average overnight through the weekend.
“Coupled with the rise in temperatures is an increase in the likelihood of some potentially heavy and thundery showers, which could bring some localised disruption for some from late on Friday and into the weekend, though it is not possible to be definitive about exact details this far from the potential event."
The UKHSA is also advising people to read up on heat exhaustion and heatstroke to understand key signs and what to do if you or someone else is in danger. People are being told to keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm, when temperatures in parts of England are expected to reach at least 30C.
Other advice from the UKHSA is to keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun, wear a hat and sunglasses whenever outside, seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly when outside, and drink plenty of fluids.
Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "In the coming days we are likely to experience our first sustained period of hot weather of the year so far, so it's important that everyone ensures they keep hydrated and cool while enjoying the sun. Forecasted temperatures this week will primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. If you have friends, family or neighbours who you know are more vulnerable to the effects of hot weather, it is important you check in on them."
The new colour-coded alert system, launched last week, is run by the UKHSA and the Met Office. There are two further alerts, not yet issued, representing more of a risk: amber meaning the impact could affect the wider population and is likely to be felt across the whole health service, and red means a significant risk to life even for healthy people and a severe impact expected across all sectors.
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