Met Office warn of rise in deaths as heat wave roasts UK

Amber heat health alert warns there could be a "rise in deaths"

Just after 2 pm, temperatures at Kew Gardens in West London reached 32.2C, making Thursday the hottest day of the year so far.

However, that record is likely to be broken in the next few days with temperatures set to climb as high as 33C this weekend.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued heat health warnings for the entire country, and are in effect until 9 am on Monday (June 23).

The UKHSA also indicates that "significant impacts are likely" across health and social care services.

Although temperatures this high in June aren’t unprecedented, it’s still considered quite unconventional and intense.

The UK’s June temperature record stands at 35.6C, set in Southampton in 1976. Taking the recent forecasts into consideration, it’s not likely this record will be broken this year.

The UKHSA warns of an increase in demand for health services by vulnerable people, as well as an increase in health risks for people aged over 65 years or anyone with pre-existing health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.