Heatwave warning as temperatures soar

The government has issued a heatwave warning as parts of England look set to bask in temperatures rising above 30C until Wednesday.

The Met Office has raised the Heat-Health alert to Level 3, the first time this level has been reached since the service was started in 2004.

The Met Office warned that high temperatures could have dramatic effects on people's health, especially the elderly and young children.

On Sunday, temperatures of 32C were recorded in some parts of England and forecasters warned that temperatures could rise even further over the next few days. High temperatures are also forecast to spread across the UK, affecting Scotland and Northern Ireland as well as the rest of the UK by the middle of the week.

London, the Midlands and south-east England have seen the highest temperatures so far.

However, forecasters also warned that severe thunderstorms and heavy downpours were also expected throughout the week, with the potential for localised flooding, disruption to electricity supplies, damage from large hailstones and strong gusty winds around the storms.

Manchester suffered torrential downpours and flash flooding, which resulted in the closure of two lanes of the M60 motorway and caused damage to homes, with some properties being hit by lightning.

There was also heavy rain in Scotland, with 27mm of rainfall reported in Aberdeenshire.

The Department of Health has advised the very young and old and those with chronic diseases to take extra care during the heatwave.

The recommendations include staying indoors during the hottest part of the day and drinking plenty of water.

Cooler weather is expected on Thursday nad Friday, although temperatures are still forecast to be in the mid 20s.

(KMcA)