UK heatwave officially declared as Met Office warns temperatures to reach 35C

South east England has now formally satisfied heatwave criteria following three consecutive days of temperatures exceeding 28C, the Met Office confirmed on Monday evening. Areas of southern England are set to experience increasingly hot conditions, with temperature peaks of around 32C on Tuesday, climbing to 33C on Wednesday and 34C on Thursday, with the highest readings of 35C predicted for isolated locations on Friday and Saturday. Monday saw the highest temperature registered as 34C in Teddington, south-west London.

A north-south divide will continue through the first half of the week, with Scotland encountering stronger winds and bouts of rain on Tuesday. By the weekend, warm air reaches northern parts of the UK, with conditions increasingly humid and a growing risk of showers or isolated thunderstorms.

Met Office Deputy Chief Forecaster Steven Keates urged the public to take precautions. "Parts of the UK are entering heatwave conditions the third heatwave in the UK so far this year. However unlike the May and June heatwaves we are not expecting this heatwave to be record-breaking," he said. Temperatures this week are not expected to reach recent highs, though southern England likely will see several days in the low 30s and a few places could reach 34-35C.

The UK Health Security Agency has placed amber heat health alerts across the Midlands and southern England from 9am Wednesday through 9pm Sunday. This indicates considerable pressure on health and social care services, including increased fatalities among those aged 65 and over or living with underlying health conditions. Yellow alerts cover Yorkshire and northern England. England could face tropical nights where temperatures do not drop below 20C. Early next week temperatures are likely to drop slightly though many areas will remain dry and warm.