Heatwave alert: Met Office warns sun revellers as temperatures soar on hottest day of the year

Temperatures set to reach 32C in the south east

Health warnings have been issued as sun-lovers in England and Wales bask in the heat on the hottest day of the year.

The rising heat has prompted warnings from health authorities urging the public to take care in the potentially “dangerous” heatwave conditions.

Click here or 'view gallery' to see recent sunny pictures across the UK

Temperatures are predicted to reach 32C (89.6F) in the south east, with the majority of England and Wales still sizzling at between 28C and 31C.

The continued hot spell shows no sign of ending as temperatures are set to remain in the mid to high 20s well into next week.

A warning issued by the Met Office has been escalated to a level three alert for Yorkshire and the Humber after temperatures have already reached heat wave conditions in parts of England.

“Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those with chronic diseases,” the alert warned.

The elderly and those with long term illnesses are being advised to keep out of the heat during peak temperatures and to stay hydrated. Dr Angie Bone, head of the PHE's Heatwave Plan, said: “Everyone can enjoy the sun safely by keeping out of the heat at the hottest time of the day, avoiding sunburn and staying hydrated with plenty of cool drinks.

Gareth Harvey, a forecaster with MeteoGroup said West London will probably see the highest recorded temperatures on Saturday.

“It's been a very hot spell of weather and today will be the hottest day so far,” he explained.

”It's likely to hit 32C in the south-east, and be up to 31C across the rest of England and Wales. The hottest part of the day will probably be around 3pm to 4pm.

”There heat will bring a chance of brief thunderstorms in the east of England but only a few areas will see showers.

“The temperature will drop slightly on Sunday but remain hot and dry.”

The North of the UK has seen the hottest temperatures over the last few days, with the highest recording of 29.2 degrees in Branham, Yorkshire on Friday.

The hottest temperature of the years so far was 29.9C in Edenfel, County Tyrone in Northern Ireland on Monday.

However temperatures will be markedly cooler in Northern Ireland and Scotland over the next few days, settling around 20C.

The RAC said they were boosting the number of patrol teams as more than 11million motorists were planning to hit the road this weekend.

Popular spots include the Lake District, Devon and Cornwall, the south coast of England, and Yorkshire.

Additional reporting by PA