Met Office issues amber heat health alert for Lancashire

The alert is in place from 12pm on Tuesday, August 11, until 9pm on Friday, August 14.

The high temperatures are expected to have significant impacts on health and social care services, with a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions.

There may also be impacts on younger age groups.

In East Lancashire, temperatures are set to reach highs of 27C with clear skies and sunshine forecast all day.

The fine weather is set to continue until the weekend when cloudy skies are forecast.

Temperatures are set to peak on Wednesday with highs of 31C and lows of 17C forecast.

Some parts of England face temperatures of up to 38C.

The forecaster has issued the warning for London and parts of the South East, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands and South Yorkshire from 9am to midnight on Thursday as temperatures are to climb to 37C or 38C in some places.

It is the latest surge in heat in a summer marked by extreme weather, with a record dry July for England and Wales, widespread drought and multiple heatwaves.

Fire chiefs have warned of sustained fire risk in the hot, dry conditions, with July the busiest on record for wildfires and firefighters responding to 185 wildfires in the first 10 days of August.

The Met Office warning highlights the likely health impacts of the latest spike in temperatures, as well as the risk of incidents in open water, travel disruption and the potential for power cuts.

Amber health heat alerts are already in place for most of England including the Midlands, South East, North West and South West, and a yellow alert is in force for the North East from Tuesday morning until Friday evening.

Officials have urged people to take simple steps to stay safe, such as drinking plenty of water, checking on vulnerable friends and family, and avoiding the sun at the hottest part of the day.