'Extraordinary' heat health alerts to come into force as record May heat possible

'Extraordinary' heat health alerts to come into force as record May heat possibleImage source, GettyBySimon King Lead weather presenterPublished53 minutes agoCommentsAs temperatures continue to rise as we go into the bank holiday weekend, heat health alerts come into force today across parts of the United Kingdom.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.With lots of sunshine in the forecast, UV levels are also expected to be high for many.Image caption, 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 weatherThe UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) normally issue heat-health alerts during the core season of 1 June to 30 September. But, as the temperature significantly rises, they have issued "extraordinary" alerts for the Midlands, eastern and south-east England.Valid from 09:00 BST on Friday to 17:00 on Wednesday, the yellow alerts suggest some minor impacts to health and social services.Dr Anya Gopfert, consultant in public health at UKHSA, told the BBC: "This first heat-health alert of the summer season is an important reminder that sustained periods of warm weather can pose a real risk to the most vulnerable."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.A yellow alert is - for most people - unlikely to be a major problem but there are some simple steps people can take to keep them safe according to Gopfert such as staying hydrated, avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, and keeping your home cool.What's the difference betw...