UK braces for 31C scorcher TODAY as thousands of revellers descend on Glastonbury (but NHS warns heatwave will cause even more delays)

Temperatures are set to hit scorching 31C peaks in parts of the UK today as thousands of festival-goers descend upon Glastonbury.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued yellow heat health alerts across most of England while NHS leaders have said the service is expecting ‘major disruption’ as a result of the heatwave.

While it is predicted to be very hot in parts of the country today, the scorching conditions are set to be short-lived as cooler weather is in store from Thursday. 

Yesterday the hottest temperature recorded was in Herstmonceux, near Eastbourne, in East Sussex where the temperatures provisionally hit 29.4c – the hottest weather recorded in the UK so far this year.

That made it hotter than Torremolinos on the Spain‘s Costa Blanca where temperatures reached 29c (84.92 F) or Kos in Greece with the same temperature.

Campers were pictured arriving at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset this morning in a bid to secure a prime camping spot. 

This year’s event will see headline performances from global stars including pop singer Dua Lipa, British rock band Coldplay and American soul singer Sza, while Canadian country star Shania Twain will play the coveted legends slot.

Andrea Bishop, a Met Office spokesman, said it will continue to be ‘very warm’ across much of the country over the next few days, though conditions in the West and the South West will be ‘nearer average temperatures’ in the low 20s.

She added: ‘Wednesday is a very warm day for many and we’re going to have top temperatures of 31C.

‘We then transition to fresher conditions looking very likely through Thursday as a weakening band of cloud and showery rain runs east, south-east, across the country through the day.

‘Although it could still be very warm ahead of this, for example in the east or south east of England.’

Meanwhile, NHS bosses said that the current heatwave has already put strain on the service and that a junior doctors’ strike taking place tomorrow would make the situation worse. 

It will be the eleventh walkout by junior doctors from the British Medical Association (BMA) in England, as the bitter dispute over pay rumbles on.

NHS England’s national medical director, Professor Sir Stephen Powis, said: ‘This new round of strike action will again hit the NHS very hard, with almost all routine care likely to be affected, and services put under significant pressure.

‘While the warmer weather can lead to additional pressure on services at a time when demand for services is already high.

‘As ever, we are working to ensure urgent and emergency care is prioritised for patients, but there is no doubt that it becomes harder each time to bring routine services back on track following strikes, and the cumulative effect for patients, staff and the NHS as a whole is enormous.

‘People should continue to use 999 in life-threatening emergencies and NHS 111 – on the NHS app, online, or by phone – for other health concerns.

‘GP services and pharmacies are also available for patients and can be accessed in the normal way, and patients who haven’t been contacted or informed that their planned appointment has been postponed are also urged to attend as normal.’

Asked about the impact of the weather, BMA chairman of council, Professor Philip Banfield, said: ‘When the junior doctors go on strike, it doesn’t empty the hospital out of doctors, you re-provide what junior doctors are doing with more experienced doctors.

‘So you’ve got our SAS colleagues, consultants, so it is a more senior workforce in place, those gaps are not quite what you would expect.

‘The cyber attack, they (the hospitals) are not able to do as much of the elective work anyway – that’s going across a six-week period.

‘So if you put a strike on to that, they’ve already got a mechanism for doing the work that they can cope with.

‘In any heatwave warning, if you end up going to emergency departments because of heat, you will be treated as you would on any normal day, you don’t suddenly end up bringing in lots of doctors.

‘If any (hospital) finds that there is a cluster of incidents that need doctors to go back into work, then the junior doctors will go back into work.

‘So for example, if there was something big that happened at an event like Glastonbury and ended up with tonnes of people being admitted to the hospital, what does the NHS England do?

‘It comes and tells us what the situation is, and we say ‘fair, you need two people to go back’.’

Meanwhile, a number of tragedies have struck in the past few days of fine weather.

A swimmer’s body was recovered off Bournemouth on Monday, while a woman in her 80s plunged 70ft to her death in a quarry at Winspit, in Dorset, on Saturday.

Heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration are the main risks posed by heatwaves and hot weather.

Sunseekers heading to the beach to bask in the warm weather should use at least factor 30 sunscreen (SPF) in order to avoid sunburn, which can increase the risk of developing skin cancer, it is advised, even if it is cloudy.

NHS guidance says older people, especially those over 75 and female, are most vulnerable to heat-related illness, as well as people with serious or long-term illnesses, and very young children.

Age UK recommends older people take particular care not to spend too much time outside during the hottest part of the day – between 11am and 3pm – and keep the blinds down and windows closed to remain cool inside.

Older people are more susceptible to heat-related health issues as their bodies are less able to cope with the rising temperatures.

During the record-breaking heatwaves of summer 2022, more than 2,800 excess deaths were recorded among over-65s.

Rob Martin, managing director of care services at Anchor, said the later living charity was urging ‘the wider community to keep a close eye on older neighbours and their older relatives who may live alone and are more vulnerable in the heat.’

‘We recommend older people stay hydrated and keep out of the sunlight as much as possible,’ he added.

‘In these temperatures, it’s important to avoid caffeinated drinks as they are dehydrating. Drink plenty of cold fluids like water and fruit juices. We recommend taking regular sips of hydrating drinks throughout the day.’

Heatstroke also poses a risk to pets, especially dogs left unattended in warm cars or taken for walks on hot days.

The RSPCA recommends ensuring pets have access to shade and fresh drinking water to help them keep cool.

Heat exhaustion, heatstroke and dehydration are the main risks posed by heatwaves and hot weather.

Dr Luke Powles, associate clinical director at Bupa Health Clinics, said it was important to know the symptoms of heat exhaustion, which include ‘a throbbing headache, dizziness, confusion, cramping and nausea’ and heatstroke, which is much more serious.

‘The symptoms of heatstroke include not sweating even while feeling too hot, a high temperature of 40C or above, fast breathing or shortness of breath, feeling confused, loss of consciousness and being unresponsive,’ he added.

‘Heatstroke is very serious and should be treated as an emergency.’