A HEALTH warning has been issued after a Herefordshire town reached the highest temperature in the West Midlands yesterday (September 4).

The top temperature in Ross-on-Wye yesterday was 29.7C.

The health security agency, which provides alerts specifically for the health and social care sector, has issued a heat alert as a warning for vulnerable people. This is in effect until September 10, and it is thought that temperatures could exceed 30C between now and then.

The agency's warning for the West Midlands says: "Minor impacts are probable, including increased use of health care services by the vulnerable population and an increase in risk of mortality."

Though the weather poses a risk to the most vulnerable, the agency says it does not expect a widespread impact.

With Ross-on-Wye experiencing yesterday's warmest weather, all of Herefordshire continues to meet official heatwave criteria.

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Mark Sidaway of the Met Office said: "High pressure is bringing more settled conditions with temperatures on the rise through the first half of this week. While the highest temperatures are expected in the south, heatwave conditions are likely across much of England and Wales, with some unseasonably high temperatures.

"An active tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic is helping to amplify the pattern, and has pushed the jet stream well to the north of the UK.

"The UK could keep some higher than average temperatures through much of the weekend, perhaps even the start of next week."