Met Office issues rare amber extreme heat warning for parts of England and Wales

The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for much of southern England and south-east Wales over the coming days – the most extreme heat warning the weather forecaster has issued for nearly four years. Temperatures are expected to climb to about 30C (86F) over the weekend and peak on Monday and Tuesday at 34C, “though there remains a chance of this being exceeded in some spots”, the Met Office said. The forecaster introduced amber extreme heat warnings in July 2021, and issued its most recent one in August 2022. The warning differs from amber heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). It issued a separate amber health alert on Thursday, warning health and care services that the expected high temperatures could significantly affect the health and wellbeing of people in London, the south-east, the south-west and the east of England. The UKHSA warning means a rise in deaths is likely in these areas, particularly among those aged 65 or over or with health conditions, and there may also be a rise in “water-related incidents”, including “risks from cold-water shock and drowning”. A cyclist drinks from a bottle of water in London on Friday. Photograph: Jack Taylor/Reuters Ross MacLeod, the water safety manager for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, said: “Cold water shock is a real danger, which we particularly want people to be aware of. …