'Extraordinary' heat health alerts come into force as record May heat likely

'Extraordinary' heat health alerts have been issued ahead of the bank holiday weekend as temperatures are forecast to rise to record-breaking levels.

Many areas will enter into the official heatwave thresholds across the next few days, with temperatures widely in the high 20s and low 30s into next week.

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

Heat health alerts are usually only issued between 1 June and 1 September. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have chosen to issue the "extraordinary" alerts because "sustained periods of warm weather can pose a real risk," according to Dr Anya Gopfert, consultant in public health at the agency.

Five areas of the UK are under amber warnings, meaning all health and social care services are likely to see an increase in demand.

The purpose of the alerts is to help ensure that health and social care services are prepared for hotter weather and the harms that extended periods of heat can have on health are reduced.

There are some simple steps people can take to keep safe, according to the UKHSA, such as staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool.

For many parts of England and Wales, the temperature will rise into the mid- to high-20s over the weekend.

Locally in the south Midlands and south-east England, it could hit 30C by Sunday, which would be relatively rare for May.

There is also increasing confidence that the maximum temperature could reach 33C on bank holiday Monday.

This would exceed the current highest recorded May temperature of 32.8C, set in 1944.

This also happened to be on the Late May Bank Holiday.

We're also expecting many parts of England to go into an official heatwave, during which the temperature exceeds 26-28C - depending on exact location - for three consecutive days.

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.

Cloudier skies are likely to keep temperatures at around the low 20s at best.

Elsewhere, there'll be a lot of sunshine - though there is a risk of a heavy shower or even thunderstorm in south-east England on Saturday afternoon.

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.

High UV corresponds to an index of 6 or 7 on a scale from 0 to 11+.

During summer in the UK, that UV index would typically be around 5-6 with a maximum of 8 only in exceptional circumstances.

On Sunday and Monday, the index is expected to peak at 7 across much of England and Wales.

While reaching 7 in late May isn't unheard of, it is rare and means that the time taken to get sunburn is significantly reduced.

The cloudier skies in Scotland and Northern Ireland will mean that UV levels will be more like 4-6 or in the "medium" to occasional "high" level.

People are being reminded to stay safe in the sun by covering up, using sunscreen and seeking shade.

Additional reporting by Michelle Roberts