Heatwave live: Health alert extended to more areas; record-breaking day for Wimbledon

Temperature reaches 31.7C in latest provisional data

 The Met Office has just put out the latest recorded temperatures.

These are still provisional - and they will be checked - but here are the warmest places in the country as of the latest data (all measured before midday):

• Charlwood, Surrey: 31.7C
• Kew Gardens, London: 31.4C
• Heathrow, London: 31.4C
• Wisley, Surrey: 31.3C
• Chertsey, Surrey: 31.1C
• East Malling, Kent: 30.8C
• Northolt, London: 30.7C
• St James's Park, Longon: 30.7C
• Teddington, Bushy Park, Middlesex: 30.3C
• Leconfield, Humberside: 30C

If you're looking out for the temperature at Wimbledon today, Kew Gardens is the site you want to keep tabs on.

How Wimbledon organisers have prepared for record-breaking heat

There are huge crowds waiting to enter Wimbledon today - so large, in fact, that by 10am organisers advised anyone intending to join the queue not to travel.

We spoke to a few of those in the queue earlier - see our 12.58 post.

These high temperatures pose an obvious problem - even if many tennis fans will delight in a change from last year's wet conditions. 

Chief executive Sally Bolton insists they're ready for what weather experts say is provisionally the hottest opening day the tournament has ever seen - with 29.7C being recorded at the nearby Kew Gardens.

Here's a quick breakdown of what she had to say in a message to tennis fans:

• Players will get an extra 10-mintue break between sets two and three for women and three and four for men once the mercury rises above 30.1C;
• Heat stress readings, measuring air temperature, surface temperature and humidity, will be taken at three points during the day;
• Ball boys and girls will have cooling scarves and will be rotated more - while staff around the grounds will get more breaks;
• Fans are advised to bring a hat, wear sunscreen and drink water regularly;
• To that end, there are more than 100 water points around the venue;
• A "significantly-sized" medical team is also ready to help anyone who falls foul of the heat.

When will it actually rain - and where?

A good question here from Aberdash, one of our readers, who asks when we can expect some rain.

So we put this to our weather producer Jo Robinson - here's what she says...

It's not dry and sunny for all of us today. Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland have some rain, especially in the west.

That rain will be heavy in places, with some computer models suggesting 20-30mm in a few spots.

That rain will ease as it sinks southwards tonight, giving little more than cloud and patchy light rain over central Britain tomorrow.

Showers are a risk on Wednesday and Thursday, especially across the east of the UK.

Thundery downpours could bring notable rainfall totals in a short space of time.  

More general rain will move into the northwest on Friday, where rainfall totals will add up, perhaps reaching 75mm.

That rain will ease and spread to other areas over the weekend, but it won't amount to much over the southeast.

Outdoor sleepover, umbrellas, and water queues - how fans are dealing with Wimbledon heat

Umbrellas and water are the order of the day for Emma Julian and Andrew Smith, who are at Wimbledon after flying in from the US.

They've been queuing since 5.30am to get into the SW19 venue, and it's been sunny all morning.

"We did not expect it to be like this," said Emma.

Megan and her friends showed up even earlier, just before 5am.

As excited as they are to be there, they feel more could have been done by the organisers to protect visitors from the heat.

"The queues for water are ridiculously long," they said.

"But it is all worth it to go in."

Mya Jones, however, may be among the most committed tennis fans there today.

Flying in from New York City, she's number 83 in line to enter tomorrow - and she's sleeping out in the open there to claim her spot first thing.

"It's elegant, and it encompasses all the wonderful things about tennis you want," she said, when asked why she loves Wimbledon.

Wimbledon's chief executive, Sally Bolton, said there were more than 100 water points around the ground and a "significantly sized medical team" to help where needed.

"We're not used to these sort of temperatures but we're absolutely ready for it and actually delighted that it's sunny and not wet like it was last year," she added.

Dementia charity warns of dehydration risk

Alzheimer's Society is urging the public to check in on friends and family living with dementia.

In this spell of hot weather, the charity has shared a list of tips to support them:

• Dress appropriately - light-coloured, loose-fitting clothes made from natural fibres help, as do a hat or cap outdoors; 
• Keep homes cool - close curtains and blinds during the day, especially in sunny, south-facing rooms. It's better to open windows later when the air is cooler; 
• Avoid the midday sun - stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm);
• Cool off - try putting a frozen bottle of water or ice pack next to a fan;
• Ask others to help  - if you don't live near the person or are worried about someone, ask a friend or neighbour to pop in and make sure they're well.  

The jet stream and heat dome - and why heatwaves are now 10 times more likely.

June is supposed to be pleasantly mild and balmy. But this is the second scorcher of the summer already. So, what's going on?

It has a lot to do with the jet stream.

Normally, high altitude winds sweep eastwards across the UK - right now it's formed a huge wave from south to north.

That's sucked hot air from North Africa up to Europe.

And it's going nowhere fast, almost locked in place beneath what's called a heat dome.

High air pressure has formed a lid over the continent.

It squeezes down on the air closer to the surface, increasing temperatures… and stops it escaping.

It's like a pressure cooker.

Dry soil issues

The southeast of the UK catches the edge of the high temperature zone.

In southern and central Europe, it's much hotter, with temperatures into the mid-40s.

That's 10 or more degrees hotter than normal for this time of year.

And the "hot blob" is only slowly moving east.

Normally, moisture evaporating from the soil would cool the air.

But it has been dry for so long that the ground is baked, and the heat is unrelenting.

Danger warnings

Climate change is making heatwaves in June much more likely.

According to the World Weather Attribution Service, before the industrial age the southeast of England could expect to have three consecutive days above 28C once every 50 years.

Now, it's one in every five years. So, a heatwave is 10 times more likely.

Those able to cool off in a lido or on a beach may wonder what all the fuss is about.

But for vulnerable people, these high temperatures are potentially life-threatening.

As I found out in a heat chamber a few years ago, even in healthy people the body's core temperature can quickly climb to levels that are akin to having a fever.

The Met Office's long-range forecast shows a high probability of above-normal temperatures through to September, particularly in the southeast of England.

There will be a lot of variability from week to week, but heat tends to build through July, the month that set the UK record of 40.3C in 2022.

The summer heat is something we will all have to get used to.

Are Britons calling in sick to enjoy the weather? This poll suggests four in 10 do

It's great to have time off work - if you're lucky enough - to enjoy the weather.

And according to a poll commissioned by Virgin Media O2, many Britons are willing to call in sick to catch the rays.

The survey suggests 41% of UK workers have admitted to pulling a sickie just so they can make the most of the sun.

This figure is even higher among 18-24-year-olds - six in 10.

Hottest opening day in Wimbledon history - provisional data shows

It's Wimbledon's hottest opening day on record, according to the Met Office's provisional data.

A temperature of 29.7C has been recorded at nearby Kew Gardens, which is higher than the previous Wimbledon opening high of 29.3C.

Amber heat health alert extended to more parts of England

The UKHSA and Met Office have said amber alerts now apply to the following areas until 9am on Wednesday:

• West Midlands
• Yorkshire and the Humber regions
• East Midlands
• South East
• South West
• London
• East of England

The alert had initially covered London, the East Midlands, the South East and the East of England only, and this was in place until 6pm tomorrow.

An amber alert was previously issued for all regions in England on 19 June, and this was the first time it had been used since September 2023.

Early warning

Heat health alerts are co-developed by the UKHSA and the Met Office.

They provide an early warning system to the public and authorities when temperatures spike to possibly dangerous levels.

Alerts are colour-coded (yellow, amber and red) to reflect the level of expected impact (green means there is no alert).

The image below shows how the current alerts look when mapped out.

-SKY NEWS