UK weather: Thunderstorm warning issued amid first heat-health alert of 2025

The first yellow heat-health alerts have been issued for 2025 while the Met Office is also warning of thunderstorms which will bring frequent lightning, gusty winds, hail and torrential downpours.

Some communities could be hit with more than half a month’s worth of rain in the space of a few hours, with some flash flooding likely from the biggest storms.

The health alerts, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA),, external cover the east of England, London, East Midland and south-east England from 21:00 BST on Thursday until 08:00 on Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to surge to 30C (86F) in parts of eastern England with the heat and humidity combining to bring thunderstorms.

The health alert means that there is likely to be increased use of health care services by vulnerable people and an increase in risk to health for people aged over 65 years or with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

The UK is currently caught in a weather battle zone between high pressure to the east and low pressure to the west, with southerly winds sending increasingly humid air across the country.