Farmers have reported their earliest harvests in 20 years, with reduced yields, while reservoir levels have fallen to 69% – 11.6% lower than expected for this time of year.

Paul Tompkins, the deputy president of the National Farmers' Union, said that with no meaningful rain forecast in the coming weeks, the situation for farmers was increasingly concerning. He said:

Many farmers have completed the earliest harvest on record, with poor yields in key crops reported in some areas of the country.

Livestock and dairy farmers are already using winter feed because grass has stopped growing, while growers are working hard to keep fruit and vegetables watered, but many are struggling to access the water they need.

The government said it was considering ways to give more support to the farming sector. The water minister, Emma Hardy, said this would include making it easier to build on-farm reservoirs.

The Met Office has shared two images taken from space that reveal the stark contrast in much of the UK's landscape between 23 May and yesterday. They capture how an exceptionally dry and hot period turned lots of once green land brown.

Amber heat health alerts are now in effect across all regions of England, aside from the north east, which has been given a yellow alert, up until Friday evening. You can keep up to date with the latest weather health alerts here.

As we mentioned in the opening post, amber heat health alerts come into force across most of England from 9am today and will last until 9pm on Friday.

As well as a rise in deaths and likely "significant" impacts across health and social care services, here are some of the other risks associated with the amber category, as outlined by the UK Health Security Agency:

• the heat affecting the ability of the workforce to deliver services

• indoor environments overheating increasing the risk to some vulnerable people

• increased demand for power exceeding capacity

• water‑related incidents may increase, including risks from cold‑water shock and drowning

Health alerts are set to come into force across England this morning as parts of the UK brace for fifth climate crisis-driven heatwave this summer.

Amber heat health alerts have been issued for all regions in England, except the north-east, which mean significant impacts are likely across health and social care services due to the high temperatures, according to the UK's Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The alerts stretch from 9am on Tuesday until 9pm on Friday.

The north-east will be under a yellow health alert, which is less intense than the amber category but is still linked to a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions, and a likely increase in demand for health services.

The alerts come a day after four more regions of England were officially declared to be in drought: the East Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, Kent and East Sussex, and Solent and the South Downs.

They joined seven English regions, alongside the whole of Wales, already under drought status since last month: East Anglia, Hertfordshire and London, Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Devon and Cornwall, the West Midlands, and Wessex (covering Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire and south Gloucestershire).

The Environment Agency said 71.3% of England is experiencing "flash drought", as a dry start to August followed the country's driest July on record.

On Tuesday, highs of 29C in Cardiff, 28C in Manchester and 25C in London are forecast before temperatures soar to the mid-30s in some areas on Thursday, according to the Met Office, with temperatures possibly exceeding 36C in some places.