Summary

  • Heat health alerts for parts of England will come into effect from 09:00, with temperatures expected to soar over the bank holiday weekend

  • Many areas will enter into the official heatwave thresholds across the next few days, with temperatures to hit the high 20s and low 30s into next week

  • Monday could see the hottest May day on record as temperatures are forecast to approach 33C in south-east England

  • As the sunshine becomes more widespread across the UK, especially England and Wales over the weekend, UV levels will also rise to "high" for many

  • While it won't be as hot in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with no heatwave expected, it will still feel warm over the coming days

Live Reporting

Edited by Imogen James and Matt Spivey, with reporting by BBC Weather

  1. What's the weather like where you are?

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  2. A slightly dismal day for some in the UK

    Thick fluffy clouds across the sky over a marina full of sail boats. There is a small bit of blue sky breaking through the cloudRossi/BBC Weather Watchers

    Nairn, in the Highlands, saw cloud cover this morning

    While things may be bonnie in England and Wales, it's not the same picture for the rest of the UK.

    Many in Scotland and across the hills in Northern Ireland will face a cloudy start to the day, with rain expected in the afternoon.

    Scotland's central belt will reach 20C later on, and the north east will see 22C, but the higher you go, the lower the temperature. Residents of Shetland can expect highs of 13C.

    But there will be some sunny spells scattered across both Scotland and Northern Ireland.

  3. What is the threshold for a heatwave?

    Many parts of England will likely enter an official heatwave in the coming days, but Scotland and Northern Ireland are unlikely to meet the threshold.

    So, what does it take for an official heatwave to be declared?

    The timeframe: For a heatwave to occur, a location needs to record a period of at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures meeting or exceeding the temperature threshold.

    Differing thresholds: The threshold varies by area across the UK - in Scotland and Northern Ireland for example its 25C while in London it's 28C.

    Temperatures in coming days: Over the bank holiday weekend, the south-east of England is predicted to reach 33C, but Scotland only 22C.

    How do heatwaves happen? Our BBC Weather team explain in the video below:

  4. 'Extraordinary' health alerts coming into force - what you need to know

    Various heat health alerts are taking effect across parts of the UK from 09:00 BST today.

    Heat health alerts, not to be confused with the Met Office's weather warnings, are issued by the government's UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

    Currently, there is a yellow heat health alert in place until 27 May at 17:00 BST in the following places:

    • East Midlands
    • West Midlands
    • East of England
    • London
    • South-east of England

    Yellow alerts focus on people who are particularly vulnerable - such as older adults and those with certain long-term health conditions.

    The graphic below takes a closer look at what the different health alert levels mean:

    Graphic showing what the adverse weather health alert levels mean in the UK. Green: No alert as conditions are likely to have minimal impact on heath. Yellow: adverse weather likely to affect vulnerable groups. Amber: Conditions could affect whole population and the NHS. Travel disruption likely. Red: Significant risk to life. Threat to critical infrastructure.

  5. Temperatures could rise to 33C during potential bank holiday heatwave

    A black dog is sprayed by water from a grass sprinkler. The grass is a vibrant green and a yellow hose is attached to the sprinklerEPA-EFE/Shutterstock

    A dog cools off during a spate of hot weather in London in June last year

    Temperatures in parts of the UK are forecast to rise to as high as 33C as a potential heatwave develops across the long bank holiday weekend.

    The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow heat health alerts - which suggest risk to vulnerable people - across much of the Midlands and south-east England.

    They will be in place from 09:00 BST on Friday until 17:00 on Wednesday.

    Heat health alerts are usually only issued between 1 June and 1 September but authorities have chosen to issue an "extraordinary" alert for this period of warm weather.

    Bank holiday Monday could see the hottest May day on record, as there is increasing confidence that the maximum temperature could reach 33C. This would exceed the current highest recorded May temperature of 32.8C, set in 1944.

    Parts of England could also enter an official heatwave this weekend, and parts of Wales could after the bank holiday.

    As the sunshine becomes more widespread across the UK, UV levels will also rise to "high" for many.

    While it won't be as hot in Scotland and Northern Ireland with no heatwave expected, it will still feel warm over the coming days.

    We'll bring you the latest forecasts, developments and top tips to stay cool during the warm weather on this page - stay with us.

    Two graphics in split image. On the left, map of the UK with temperatures ranging from 13 in the Shetland Isles to 27 in north east Wales and up to 33 degrees in south-east England. On the right, map of the UV levels across the UK. For most it's high but moderate in Scotland

    Temperatures and UV levels are set to rise significantly into the Bank holiday Monday