Heat health alerts extended as record for most 34C days in a year broken

Amber heat health alerts have been extended to northern England as the third heatwave of the year pushed temperatures to 35 °C (95 °F) on Thursday. The alerts cover much of England, signalling that the heat is likely to have a significant impact on health services and could cause possible disruption until 21:00 BST on Sunday. NHS England warned that many of its ambulance services are facing "sustained pressure" because of the heatwave, and rail operators have advised passengers to expect disruption. Although temperatures are not expected to match those recorded during June’s record‑breaking heatwave, the current spell may persist longer – possibly until the end of next week. The Met Office noted that this is the eighth occasion this year when the temperature has reached or exceeded 34 °C. There were two such days in May’s heatwave, four in June’s and, so far, two in the present episode, giving a calendar‑year total that surpasses the totals for 1976 and 2020. A further reading of 34 °C or higher is forecast for Friday. Alerts for north‑west England and Yorkshire – issued in situations that could potentially endanger the whole population – join those already in force for the Midlands, the east and the south of England. A yellow alert, indicating that a significant impact is possible, covers the north‑east. The most intense heat is expected across southern and eastern England, where several areas declared a heatwave on Monday after five consecutive days at or above 30 °C. This adds to the strain on players and spectators at Wimbledon, which is gearing up for the semi‑finals. At Wisley in Surrey, the temperature hit 35.1 °C on Thursday, approaching the all‑time record of 35.7 °C set at the London tennis championships in 2015. Organisers are providing extra water, electrolytes, iced towels and umbrellas during changeovers, and a ten‑minute break can be requested between sets if temperature and humidity cross a defined threshold. Elsewhere on Thursday, Cardiff recorded 30.4 °C, Aboyne in Scotland reached 27.0 °C and Killowen in Northern Ireland logged 25.0 °C.