Sheffield has been placed on an official ‘heat alert’ by a Government agency, with temperatures expected to soar over the weekend.

UK Health Security Agency has put the Yorkshire and Humber region on ‘yellow’ alert, and the East Midlands on ‘amber’ alert, with today’s temperature expected to hit 28C for a large chunk of the afternoon.

The Met Office forecast for Sheffield today predicts temperatures to rise to 25C by 1pm, and to 28C by 3pm. It will stay at 28C until 5pm, before falling back to 19C at 11pm.

The lowest ovenight temperature going into Sunday will be 15C at 6am tomorrow morning. It will then rise over Sunday to 25C again by 1pm, and then peak at 27C at 4pm and 5pm, falling back to 19C by 11pm.

Both days are forecast to see ‘sunny intervals’

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The yellow alert is intended to provide early warning to the health and social care sector, the responder community, the voluntary and community sector and government departments when adverse temperatures are likely to impact on the health and wellbeing of the population.

The warning runs from 9am on Monday.

Officials say significant impacts are possible across the health and social care services due to the high temperatures, including:

> A rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. There may also be impacts on younger age groups

> Alikely increase in demand for health services

> Internal temperatures in care settings (hospitals and care homes) may exceed the recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment

> The heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services

> Indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to vulnerable people living independently in community and care settings