Health officials have issued warnings as temperatures rise across the UK - with Cumbria expected to reach 29C tomorrow.

Forecasters predict scorching weather will feel even hotter in places tomorrow, as warm winds and high humidity add to the temperatures.

The south of England will be the hottest, with temperatures expected to top 33C, and this has prompted Public Health England to issue an alert, urging people to take precautions and look out for others.

However the burst of heat will be short-lived, as the Met Office has warned it will be followed by storms - with the possibility of thunder, lightning, hail, strong winds and up to 2ins of rain in a matter of hours.

A spokeswoman for the forecaster told the News & Star: "It is muggy today in Cumbria, and that is only going to get worse I'm afraid. It will remain generally dry today, with the odd spot of rain or two, with temperatures at about 22C or 23C.

"Tomorrow I expect any cloud will have cleared overnight, and there will be clear blue skies throughout the day."

She continued: "The temperatures will build up throughout the day, as the warm weather moves north, eventually reaching 28C or 29C. With light winds and humidity it will feel even warmer."

It is not expected to last however, with a yellow weather warning in place for much of the country from 5pm tomorrow until 6pm Wednesday.

Cumbria will probably get the worst of the weather in the early hours of the morning - after a very uncomfortable night.

Although it is difficult to pinpoint rain fall with thunder storms, up to 30mm is expected to fall within an hour - and up to 50mm within several hours.

The Met Office spokeswoman added: "This is not a big frontal system like December, bringing prolonged rain for half a day or more, but there could be a lot of rain in a few hours."