UK heatwave: Temperatures to soar to 34C today

Much of the UK is set to get even hotter today as temperatures could soar to a sweltering 34C with an amber health alert extended across England. Forecasters issued the alert which will cover London, the East Midlands, the South East, the South West and the East of England, and is set to remain in place until 6pm today. The Met Office say a rare amber alert is only deployed when they think there is a 'potential risk to life and property' and today's marks the second time it has been issued in two weeks.

Commuters this morning faced a sweaty journey in to work - with London Tube lines closing because of the heat. Meanwhile the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also activated a five-day alert due to concerns that there could be 'a rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions'. Parts of England basked in temperatures hotter than the Caribbean yesterday as a deadly heatwave was sweeping across Europe. Flaming June lived up to its fiery reputation as London sweltered in 33.1C (91.58F) – with even places in the North-East managing to reach 30C (86F).

While hydration rather than strawberries and cream was most in demand among tennis spectators at Wimbledon, others took to more traditional methods of coping with the weather by packing the beaches at the resorts such as Bournemouth and Brighton. Temperatures in SW19 were yesterday so hot that an elderly member of the crowd on Centre Court fainted during Carlos Alcaraz ’s first-round tussle with Fabio Fognini. The Spaniard was leading 3-0 in the decider when he alerted the umpire to an incident in the stands before he brought the stricken spectator a cold bottle of water from the bucket behind his seat. But, the heatwave is expected to come to an end tomorrow - with temperatures looking to drastically cool. It was the hottest opening day in Wimbledon history with the heat reaching 33C, surpassing the previous record of 29.3C in 2001.

Greg Dewhurst, a meteorologist at the Met Office, told MailOnline that the hottest temperatures would hit the southeast of England today, particularly in London. And a map issued by the forecasters shows that they expect temperatures could hit a sizzling 35C. If reached, London would today be hotter than Lisbon, Barcelona, Hawaii, Mexico City and Barbados. But Mr Dewhurst added that those in the north could see spells of rain, saying: 'There will be cloudier skies further north with showery rain across northern England in particular. Temperatures lower the further north you are in the country, with highs around 15 to 19C in Scotland, which is around average.' The record temperature for England was recorded on July 19, 2022, when Coningsby, Lincolnshire, saw an astonishing 40.3C reached.

Yesterday's heat of 33C almost broke the hottest ever June temperatures of 35.6C recorded in Southampton in 1976. The hottest ever July 1 on record was in 2015, when the temperature hit 36.7C. And today's warnings come as Europe continues to be blasted by record temperature highs with a deadly 'heat dome' scorching the continent . Spain recorded its hottest June day on record at the weekend, with 46C recorded in El Granado, in the Andalucían province of Huelva. The highest temperature previously recorded for June was 45.2C logged in Seville in 1965. Spain’s state meteorological agency said the latest heatwave would likely persist.

A new record high for June was also recorded in Mora in Portugal on Sunday at 46.6C (116F), according to the national meteorological agency. Seven regions in central and southern Portugal, including Lisbon, were placed on red alert for the second day running on Monday, with fire warnings in many forest areas. Authorities advised people 'not to go out' during the hottest hours, reporting heat strokes and burns as the heatwave took hold. Across the UK, sunseekers yesterday descended on beaches to try and cool off from the soaring temperatures. Both Brighton and Bournemouth beaches experienced congestion levels that are significantly higher than normal. Thousands of Wimbledon spectators pitched tents outside the All England Club on Sunday night in a bid to secure tickets, but the tropical temperatures proved too much for some who were forced to abandon their spot in the queue yesterday 'until it was cooler'.

Some fans were forced to abandon the queue the for Centre Court because of the heat, saying they had to come back when it was cooler. Fans flocked to SW19 as Emma Raducanu led the biggest contingent of British tennis stars to storm Wimbledon in over 40 years. It is a bumper year for Britons with an army of 23 players taking over – the most to get through since 1984. One group of six best friends who jetted in from the US joined the Wimbledon queue at 7am yesterday after flying eight-and-a-half hours to the UK. Lydia told MailOnline: 'We've flew from Florida yesterday, some of us are from New Jersey and Texas as well. We can't wait for the games and we are rooting for Coco Gauff.' Jennie added: 'We're want to attended for the next three days so we will be queuing up every day. We're from Florida, so the heat is fine for us, but we were not expecting this in England. We have our umbrellas for shade and plenty booze and card games. We've already had three bottles of bubbly so far this morning!'

George Sandhu, Deputy Superintendent at Well Pharmacy, is urging elderly and vulnerable Brits to consider staying in the shade or indoors during the hottest hours of the day. He said: 'While many people will be out enjoying the warm weather, elderly and vulnerable Brits who are at greater risk because they can have less control over their exposure to the sun. Overexposure to the sun can lead to people becoming seriously unwell through overheating, dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.' Elsewhere in the UK, footage from Highland and Moray, in the Scottish Highlands, showed wildfires and smoke obscuring the landscape as fire crews battle blaze that has been burning since Saturday morning. The blazes, which have been whipped up by strong winds and dry weather, have stretched several miles in places - and even sparked warnings for communities as far away as Forres and Elgin to keep windows shut.

Tennis fans were given a shock yesterday morning after being told to stay away from Wimbledon as it is already 'at capacity'. Earl's Court tube station, a popular changeover point en route to Wimbledon, was packed with tennis fans who had flown in from all over the world. But an announcement over the PA system quickly put a dampener on the excitement after it was revealed the grounds were already 'at capacity' before 9am. Those who had opted for a slightly later lie-in faced disappointment then when they were told that non-ticket holders risk not getting in, or at best 'several hours' waiting in the queue with temperatures soaring for the rest of the day. An update from Wimbledon's official website on Monday read: 'Please be aware that the Queue for Day 1 - Monday 30th June - is very busy and to avoid disappointment we strongly advise you not to travel to the Grounds today.'

On Sunday, firefighters mobilised in several European nations to tackle blazes as southern Europeans sought shelter from punishing temperatures of a heatwave that is set to intensify in the coming days. Fires broke out in France and Turkey Sunday, with other countries already on alert. Authorities from Spain to Portugal, Italy and France urged people to seek shelter and protect the most vulnerable from the summer's first major heatwave. Ambulances stood on standby near tourist hotspots as experts warned that such heatwaves, intensified by climate change, would become more frequent. In Turkey, forest fires broke out Sunday afternoon in the western Izmir province, fed by strong winds, local media reported. In France, meanwhile, wildfires broke out in the Corbieres area of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures topped 40C, forcing the evacuation of a campsite and abbey as a precaution.

The country's weather service Meteo France put a record 84 out of its 101 regional departments on an orange heatwave alert - the second-highest - for Monday. Spain's weather service AEMET said temperatures in Extremadura and Andalusia, in the south and southwest, had reached up to 44C Sunday and issued a special warning amid the heatwave. Several areas in the southern half of Portugal, including Lisbon, were under a red warning until Monday night, said the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). Two-thirds of Portugal was also on high alert over the weekend for extreme heat and forest fires - as was the Italian island of Sicily, where firefighters tackled 15 blazes Saturday. In Italy, 21 cities were on high alert for extreme heat, including Milan, Naples, Venice, Florence and Rome. 'We were supposed to be visiting the Colosseum, but my mum nearly fainted,' said British tourist Anna Becker, who had travelled to Rome from a 'muggy, miserable' Verona.

Hospital emergency departments across Italy have reported an uptick in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino, vice president of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine. 'We've seen around a 10 percent increase, mainly in cities that not only have very high temperatures but also a higher humidity rate. It is mainly elderly people, cancer patients or homeless people, presenting with dehydration, heat stroke, fatigue,' he said. In Venice, authorities offered free guided tours for people over 75s in air-conditioned museums and public buildings. Bologna has set up seven 'climate shelters' with air conditioning and drinking water, Florence has called on doctors to flag up the lonely and vulnerable, Ancona is delivering dehumidifiers to the needy, and Rome has offered free access to city swimming pools for those over 70. In Portugal, several areas in the southern half of the country, including the capital Lisbon, are under a red warning for heat until tonight, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere.

In France, experts warned that the heat was also severely impacting biodiversity. 'With this stifling heat, the temperature can exceed 40 degrees in some nests,' said Allain Bougrain-Dubourg, president of the League for the Protection of Birds. 'We are taking in birds in difficulty everywhere; our seven care centres are saturated,' he said. It is also attracting invasive species, which are thriving in the more tropical climes. An amber alert was previously issued for all regions in England on June 19, the first time it had been used since September 2023. An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK. London Fire Brigade assistant commissioner Thomas Goodall said: 'London is already facing its second heatwave of the year and we know that people will be looking forward to getting outside to enjoy the wonderful weather.

'But the high temperatures and low rainfall in recent months means the current risk of wildfires is severe. So far this year, firefighters have responded to around 14 wildfires in the capital. There have also been countless call outs to smaller fires involving grass, trees and in other outdoor spaces, as well as in people's gardens. During this latest heatwave, it is important everyone acts responsibly to prevent fires from occurring. 's the weather has been so dry, it only takes a few sparks to lead to a fire spreading rapidly. In London, this is can be dangerous because so many of our green spaces lie close to homes and other properties.'