Yellow heat health alert extended across large parts of UK amid heatwave

A yellow heat health alert has been extended into next week, affecting seven regions in England amid the fourth heatwave of the summer.

The alerts are from 6pm on Wednesday to 6pm next Monday and are for Yorkshire and The Humber, the East Midlands, the West Midlands, the East of England, London, the South East, and South West. The warnings mean significant impacts on health and social care services are possible due to high temperatures, including a potential rise in deaths among the elderly or those with pre-existing health conditions.

Alerts were previously due to end at 6pm on Wednesday. Heavy rain and thunder hit London and Kent on Wednesday afternoon, and the Met Office said it was likely the South East would continue to experience thick clouds and a risk of heavy thundery showers overnight.

Northern England and Northern Ireland were expected to have isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The Met Office issued a yellow thunderstorm warning for most of Scotland from 2pm until midnight, with the potential for up to 30mm of rain in less than an hour, and 50mm locally, as well as hail and gusty winds.

Tuesday's temperatures reached 33.4C in Benson in Oxfordshire and Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire. It's predicted to cool by a couple of degree as the week goes - but will stay very warm.

"On Thursday, there will still be a few showers, particularly in the North, and it will not be quite as hot, but temperatures will still peak around 29C to 30C in East and South East England," said Marco Petagna, a meteorologist at the Met Office. "Friday looks mostly fine, with very hot sunshine in the South and South East, where temperatures could reach 31C, while Scotland will see highs in the low 20s." Read more:Get the Sky News weather forecast for your areaThree teenagers charged with man's murder at seaside resort The National Drought Group - which includes the Met Office, water firms and others - met on Tuesday over what it said was now a "nationally significant incident" in England.

Five areas remain in drought and six more are in prolonged dry weather status. The group said it had been the driest six months to July since 1976, and the latest heatwave was putting more pressure on water supplies.

A hosepipe ban remains in place in Yorkshire, while Thames Water, South East Water and Southern Water have bans in certain postcodes..