Hottest day of the year so far as central London temperatures surge past 30C and ‘danger to life’ heat alerts issued

Temperatures could hit 32C later this afternoon, and it is predicted to be hotter tomorrow in some parts of England.

The previous hottest day of the year was last Friday, when the mercury hit 29.4C in Santon Downham, Suffolk.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency issued an Amber Heat Alert, warning of an increased danger of death.

A Yellow Heat Alert was already in place across England, but this morning the UKHSA upgraded its warning.

Read more: Amber heat alert issued across England as temperatures to hit 33C amid warnings of 'a rise in deaths'

It warned of a "a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions", and "there may also be impacts on younger age groups."

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: "Our findings show that heat can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions.

"It is therefore important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.

"The forecasted high temperatures may also lead to an increasing demand for remote health care services and an impact on the ability of services delivered due to heat effects on the work force."

A heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C depending on where you are in the UK.

Met Office deputy chief meteorologist Dan Holley said: "The highest temperatures from this hot spell are forecast for Saturday, with low 30s Celsius fairly widely across England, and up to 34C possible in eastern areas.

"Despite this, the more uncomfortable heat will be in northern and western areas initially, where despite somewhat lower temperatures the air will be more humid."

He warned parts of the country are in for "tropical nights" over the weekend.

"The nights will also be quite warm, with the possibility of temperatures not falling below 20°C in some areas, making it hard to sleep. This is what we term a 'tropical night'," Mr Holley said.