Public Health England (PHE) has extended its current heat-health alert until Friday amid the hottest temperatures of the year so far.

PHE said it made the decision “as the Met Office forecasts hot weather will continue for a few more days”.

The UK’s first ever extreme heat warning was already in place until midnight on Thursday.

We have extended the heat-health alert as the Met Office forecasts the current hot weather will last until Thursday 🌞

If you feel dizzy, weak or have intense thirst and headache, move to a cool place as soon as possible and rehydrate.

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Dr Owen Landeg, scientific and technical lead at PHE, said: “As we experience the first hot weather episode of the year, it’s important for everyone to remember to adapt their behaviours.

“This is particularly important during the pandemic with many people self-isolating.”

It comes after the hottest day of the year was recorded – with a temperature of 31.6C (88.9F) – at London Heathrow on Sunday.

Northern Ireland also recorded its highest temperature in history on Saturday – when the mercury reached 31.2C (88.16F) in Ballywatticock, County Down.

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During the extreme heat warning temperatures in England could reach as high as 33C (91.4F), making it hotter than European holiday destinations such as Marbella and Tenerife.

The heatwave is set to come to an end this weekend when high pressure over the UK lessens and the heat will drop.

Conditions will be warmest and driest in northern parts of the UK, particularly the northwest of England, through the weekend.

In the South, there could be heavy rain and thunderstorms on Saturday and Sunday.

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Next week, the Met Office predicts a return to hotter weather, with “warmer and drier-than-average conditions likely to return for much of the UK”.

It warns that the southeast of England is more at risk of thunderstorms throughout August, but temperatures will also be hottest there.

This week’s extreme heat warning is the first to be issued since they were introduced on 1 June by the National Severe Weather Warning Service (NSWWS).

The warnings were brought in after consultations with PHE and the UK’s other health agencies, and are designed to highlight the negative impact of heatwaves on health, infrastructure and other services.

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The Daily Climate Show is broadcast at 6.30pm and 9.30pm Monday to Friday on Sky News, the Sky News website and app, on YouTube and Twitter.

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