Essex heat alert to come into force today for fifth heatwave

A yellow heat health alert has been issued for Essex and the wider East of England region, with temperatures expected to climb to 33C in parts of the county by Thursday.

The alert comes into force at 9am today and will remain in place until 9pm on Tuesday, August 11.

It follows a summer of intense heat, with four previous heatwaves contributing to droughts, wildfires, and more than 2,800 excess deaths recorded during the hottest spells in May and June.

The highest temperature recorded so far this year was 38°C in Lingwood, Norfolk, on June 28.

Warnings - yellow heat health alerts have been issued across parts of the UK (Image: UK Health Security Agency)

So far in 2024, the UK has seen 33 days of temperatures exceeding 30C.

The record of 34 such days, set in 1995, is likely to be broken in the coming week.

Temperatures are expected to rise into the low 30s by tomorrow (August 9) across Essex.

London, the East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East of England are all under yellow heat health alerts issued by the UK Health Security Agency.

The National Trust has urged the public to sign a petition calling on the Government to prioritise climate action, citing recent wildfires as a stark warning of the risks.

Large blazes have been reported at Dunwich Heath in Suffolk, on the Isle of Wight, and in South Wales.

The Fire Severity Index, which does not predict the likelihood of fires but indicates the potential intensity if one begins, suggests that conditions could reach “exceptional” levels—the highest rating—across much of eastern and south-eastern England by Sunday.

The ongoing dry weather has also put pressure on water resources.

The Environment Agency reported on Friday that reservoir storage in England has dropped to 69 per cent, down from 72 per cent the previous week, and is now nearly 12 percentage points below the long-term average for this time of year.

Storage stood at 85 per cent at the end of June, in line with seasonal expectations, but has declined steadily since then.

Five reservoirs are now considered “exceptionally low,” including Hanningfield in Essex, which is just 60 per cent full.

Last month was the driest July on record for England and Wales since records began in 1836, according to provisional figures from the Met Office.

Nineteen counties recorded 1mm or less of rainfall throughout the month.