IT IS officially the hottest day of the year so far and people have been out enjoying the sunshine in Cheshire.

It’s the kind of weather when local newspapers dust off their pictures of large thermometers, and people, after hopefully slapping on the sun cream, go out to catch some sun.

Temperatures have soared, reaching 30.2C at nearby Hawarden Airport, the Met Office said, and the the road surface of the A543 near Pentrefoelas, in Conwy, is melting.

Here in Cheshire, people have been enjoying the weather, with many taking to Grosvenor Park and the banks of the River Dee in Chester.

Standard snapper Simon Warburton was out and about taking pictures of people soaking up the sun in the city.

But people have been urged to take care.

The Met Office with Public Health England (PHE) this morning issued the first government heat-health alert of summer.

The Met Office's heat-health watch alert is currently at level two, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

Chief Meteorologist, Frank Saunders said, “As warmer air from the continent moves towards the UK from Wednesday, temperatures will climb into the mid to high 20s quite widely, even in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland. By this stage, some places in England and Wales will very likely top 30 Celsius – it’s not unlikely somewhere could reach 32 Celsius. With almost wall-to-wall sunshine we’ll certainly be looking at conditions which many of us would call a heatwave.”

And Met Office forecasters believe that despite a risk of storms at the weekend, the balmy summer weather is here to stay for the rest of June - and possibly even into July as well, with health officials warning the public to take precautions while enjoying the sunshine.

Health expert Dr Owen Landeg said: “Much of the advice on beating the heat is common sense and many people will want to enjoy the long spell of warm weather in the forecast. Now is a really good time to think about what you can do to protect you and your family and friends’ health during summer. For some people, such as older people, those with underlying health conditions and those with young children, the summer heat can bring real health risks. That’s why we’re urging everyone to keep an eye on those you know who may be at risk this summer. If you’re able, ask if your friends, family or neighbours need any support. And if you’re going outside for a prolonged period, remember UV is high at this time of year so think how the sun affects you and what you’d do to make sure you don’t get burned.”

And the heatwave shows no signs of abating, with the mercury set to rise to a scorching 33C (91.4F) in parts of the UK later in the week.

Parts of the UK are currently hotter than Athens in Greece, and on a par with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Rio in Brazil.

Police have urged people to be careful of the temptation to swim in open water in the hot weather.

Dr Thomas Waite of Public Health England urged people to keep in mind those who may be vulnerable, including the elderly, young children and those with underlying health conditions for whom he said "the summer heat can bring real health risks".

He added: "That's why we're urging everyone to keep an eye on those you know who may be at risk this summer.

"If you're able, ask if your friends, family or neighbours need any support."

Merseyside is likely to enjoy the hottest weather on Tuesday, the Met Office said, with highs of 31C (87.8F) forecast.

Temperatures are set to rise, with a possible high of 33C (91.4F) on Thursday, meteorologist Alex Burkill said, soaring above the UK average for this time of year of 17.3C (63.1F).

The fine, hot weather looks set to continue into next month, he added.

"At the moment it looks like that will be the general theme through much of July," he said.

"Generally it looks like it will stay drier and warmer than average."