Yellow heat health alerts remain in place as temperatures look set to reach a staggering 31C in London today.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) alerts cover East Midlands, East England, London and the south east from Thursday to Saturday.

It warns that expected hot weather may have minor impacts on the health and social care sector.

The Met Office said temperatures of “around 30C are possible in the south east” and that figures in the mid to upper twenties are “more likely in places” across England and Wales.

Here is the hour-by-hour for today (Friday)

9am – Sunny 23C

10am – Sunny 24C

11am - Sunny intervals 26C

12pm - Sunny intervals 28C

1pm - Sunny intervals 29C

2pm - Sunny intervals

30C 3pm - Sunny intervals 31C

4pm - Sunny 31C

5pm - Sunny 31C

6pm - Sunny 30C

7pm - Sunny 29C

8pm - Sunny 28C

9pm – Clear 26C

10pm – Clear 23C

Here is the hour-by-hour forecast for tomorrow (Saturday)

7am – Sunny intervals 19C

8am – Sunny intervals 19C

9am - Sunny intervals 20C

10am – Sunny intervals 21C

11am - Cloudy 23C

12pm – Cloudy 23C

1pm – Cloudy 24C

2pm – Cloudy 24C

3pm – Cloudy 24C

4pm – Cloudy 24C

5pm – Sunny intervals 24C

6pm – Sunny intervals 24C

7pm – Sunny intervals 23C

8pm – Sunny intervals 22C

9pm – Partly cloudy 21C

10pm – Partly Cloudy 21C

Forecast in full

Today:

Cloudy in Northern Ireland and Scotland, but sunny spells gradually developing in sheltered spots. Temperatures here near average. Elsewhere, sunny spells and very warm or even hot in the sunshine, especially in the southeast with light winds.

Tonight:

Turning cloudy in the west with outbreaks of rain in places. Clearer skies in central and southern areas where it will remain warm and even feeling muggy for some.

Saturday:

Remaining cloudy in the west with some rain, heavy in spots and moving eastwards through the day. The southeast will remain mostly dry where it stays very warm.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday:

Drier, brighter and fresher on Sunday after rain moves eastwards. Blustery with rain or showers on Monday, and feeling cooler, but a fine day expected on Tuesday.

Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said Wednesday has been “a fine day for many” which is to be followed by a “hot spell for many coming up.”

In an online forecast he said: “Further south and east, after some early morning mist and fog perhaps, we will see plenty of sunshine and that’s going to lift the temperatures widely in to the mid-20Cs and 28C is likely in and around the London area.

“It will be quite a bit cooler for Scotland and Northern Ireland where temperatures here may be 18C or 19C or maybe a bit lower where that rain persists on the west coast.”

Cooler conditions are set to be in place by Sunday but “certainly there will be some high temperatures across eastern England during Friday and Saturday”, he added.

The hot weather comes after well above average rainfall figures in the first half of the month, including a weather warning for rain on Tuesday evening.