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UK heading for fifth heatwave this year

An aerial view of the dry yellow grass on a football pitch in London.Image source, Getty Images
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An aerial view of the dry yellow grass on a football pitch in London

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Parts of the UK could be heading into another heatwave this week, with temperatures possibly reaching the mid-30s in some places.

BBC Weather's Simon King says "bone dry conditions will continue for many", adding that temperatures could rise "as high as 35C" by the middle of the week.

A heatwave does not just mean one hot day. The Met Office says a heatwave happens when a place is hotter than normal for the time of year, for at least three days in a row.

The exact temperature needed depends on where you live, because some parts of the UK are usually warmer than others.

A map showing yellow heat health alerts in force for much of England through 21:00 BST on TuesdayImage source, BBC Weather
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The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow alerts for much of England until Tuesday night. A yellow category is the lowest health alert.

If weather forecasts are accurate for this week, it will mean the fifth heatwave of the year for many areas is confirmed.

Sunday is expected to be very warm for lots of people, with South East England possibly reaching 33C. After a slightly cooler Monday, temperatures are forecast to rise again from Tuesday.

The UK Health Security Agency has issued yellow Heat Health alerts for much of England until Tuesday night.

A yellow alert means the heat could affect some people's health, especially older people and those with medical conditions. It can also put extra pressure on hospitals and care services.

View of a shallow reservoir with a boy walking across a bridge with a fishing rodImage source, Getty Images
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Water levels in resevoirs like this one are very low due to long periods of hot and dry weather

The Environment Agency (EA) - the body that make sure people have enough clean water - says England has had seven weeks in a row with less than 10mm of rain, and several more areas could move into drought status next week.

A drought is when there has not been enough rain for a long time, so rivers, reservoirs and underground water supplies can get very low.

There are drought conditions in much of Wales and the South of England where more than 25 million people already have water restrictions, such as hosepipe bans.

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Satellites show dry weather impact across South East