Rare red weather warning and red heat alert issued

A rare red weather warning for extreme heat and a red heat health alert have been issued.

The red weather warning issued by the Met Office covers a large part of the region, including Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Northamptonshire, from 09:00 BST on Wednesday until 21:00 on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the red heat health alert issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) will cover the whole of the region.

Met Office deputy chief forecaster Mark Sidaway said its red warnings were reserved for the "most severe events", and temperatures were expected to reach nearly 40C.

He said "significant impacts" were expected from the heat.

"The last time the UK recorded temperatures this high was in July 2022, but on this occasion the heat is expected to be accompanied by high humidity," he said.

He added there would be consecutive nights where temperatures did not drop below 20C.

People are warned to expect delays on roads, more people in coastal areas and "substantial" changes in working practices.

While the red weather warning is in place for parts of the region, the rest of the East of England will be under an amber warning.

The UKHSA alert warns that "severe impacts are expected across health and social care services".

These include increased demand on services and heat affecting staff.

This heat health alert is in place from 01:00 BST on Wednesday until 23:00 on Thursday.

Vets are warning dog owners to be careful when taking pets out for walks.

British Veterinary Association president Dr Rob Williams MRCVS urged people to ensure pets had access to fresh drinking water and shade, and that dogs were not walked during the hottest parts of the day.

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