(Image: Newsquest)
An amber heat health alert has been issued for York after highs of 33C were forecast for the city.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has upgraded its yellow heat alert to amber from Tuesday (August 11) until Friday.
It comes after the Met Office said temperatures will start rising in York from 23C on Monday to 33C by Thursday.
Forecasters expect temperatures to cool slightly in York to 28C on Friday then fall to 22C by Sunday.
UKHSA said “significant impacts are likely” across health and social care services due to the high temperatures while the amber alert is in place.
As the amber heat health alerts were issued, Polly Ashmore, acting consultant in public health at the UK Health Security Agency, urged people to take simple steps to stay safe and check in with vulnerable friends and family.
“Drinking plenty of water, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day and keeping indoor spaces cool are all things you can do to keep yourself and others safe,” she said.
“For vulnerable groups including older adults and those with existing health conditions, warmer weather can result in serious health outcomes.
“We urge health and social care services to ensure they are prepared and encourage people to check on vulnerable friends and family to make sure everyone is aware of the forecast, follows the necessary advice and stays safe in this period of hot weather.”
But the Met Office said it did not anticipate issuing its rare amber or red alerts for dangerous heat, as the conditions would be dry, and not humid – which further raises the risk to human health – as they were in late June when a red alert was activated over several days.
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Meanwhile, clear skies have been forecast in York from Tuesday to Thursday which will be a boost for people in the area hoping to witness an historic solar eclipse on Wednesday evening.
Just Yorkshire and the North East remain in normal status, with all of Wales and half of England officially in drought.
More regions could be declared in drought when officials meet at the National Drought Group on Monday.
Another record is set to tumble this week after Sunday was the 34th day so far this year when temperatures exceeded 30C somewhere in the UK, equalling the record from 1995.
So far, the extreme weather of summer 2026 has included two record-breaking heatwaves in May and June that led to more than 2,800 excess deaths.
Two more heatwaves in July, the driest July in England and Wales since records began in 1836, have fuelled drought and wildfires.
The European Union’s earth observation programme Copernicus said average temperatures across western Europe reached 21.61C (70.92F) for June-July, breaking the record set in 2022.
Globally, this year is just behind 2024 and 2025 as the third hottest year on record.