London - (Saba):
The UK Met Office forecasted on Friday that temperatures could reach up to 33°C, putting the country on track to break the record for the hottest day of the year for the second consecutive day.
On Thursday, temperatures hit 32.2°C in Kew, West London, prompting an amber heat-health alert — between yellow and red — across all regions of England.
According to Britain’s PA Media, the alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency for the first time since September, will remain in effect until 9 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Monday.
The warning notes the possibility of “significant impacts” on health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including a rise in mortality rates — particularly among those aged 65 and older, and individuals with pre-existing health conditions.
Met Office meteorologist Dan Stroud predicted that several areas would exceed the official heatwave thresholds by Friday afternoon.
A heatwave is officially declared when regions meet specific temperature criteria for three consecutive days.
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