The Met Office has this morning issued a huge yellow alert for thunderstorms which are set to hit large parts of the UK tomorrow. The yellow warning runs from 9am until midnight tomorrow and the forecaster said it could include flooding of homes and businesses, with damage to some buildings from water, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds
The warning also means that driving could be made dangerous by conditions with the possibility of disruption to power supplies through lightning. The alert covers most of England including the north west, West Midlands, East Midlands, South East England the North East and South West, parts of Wales and Scotland too.
It comes on top of a heat-health alert which was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office yesterday - which is in place for six regions in England and which says that temperatures will potentially top 30C. It is in place from 12 noon on Friday 7 July to 9am on Sunday 9 July.
The Met Office has forecast temperatures of 27°C to 28°C on Friday and around 30°C on Saturday. The forecasted high temperatures will be short lived, followed by thunderstorms, but if reached it is likely that there will be some impacts across the health and social care sector.
A yellow alert means potential risks include increased use of health care services by vulnerable populations and an increase in risk to health for individuals aged over 65 years or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
The regions included in the yellow alert are:
London
South East
East Midlands
West Midlands
East of England
Yorkshire and the Humber
Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: “This weekend it’s important that everyone takes sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.
“The forecasted high temperatures are expected to be short lived, but could primarily impact those over the age of 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions. If you have friends, family or neighbours who are more vulnerable, it is important to check in on them and ensure they are aware of the forecasts and are following the necessary advice.”
Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist, Dan Harris, said: “Temperatures will be on the rise from Friday, with a plume of continental air allowing temperatures to reach, and perhaps locally exceed, 30°C in parts of England on Friday and Saturday. In addition, temperatures overnight will remain high, especially in towns and cities, which will make for an uncomfortably warm night for some.
“Temperatures are likely to start to drop from the west on Saturday and more widely into Sunday, as showers and thunderstorms sweep north-east across the country.”
