The Met Office has issued its first ever red warning for extreme heat, as it warned of a “potentially very serious situation”.
Grahame Madge, Met Office spokesman, said: “We’ve just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued.
“The warning covers an area from London up to Manchester and then up to the Vale of York.
“This is potentially a very serious situation.”
Soaring temperatures are expected to continue into next week
Victoria Jones
Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day, with the potential to top the UK record temperature of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019, forecasters said
Gareth Fuller
Temperatures are set to rise by another 10C in much of England over the coming days, increasing the strain on hospital and train services.
On average, the mercury will remain in the mid-20s for the last working day of the week, before rising to around 35C (95F) in southern, central and eastern areas of England by Tuesday.
Hospital and train services are already under pressure from the heat, with the NHS facing a “surge” in demand from heat-related admissions, and Avanti West Coast has warned their services may be cancelled at the last minute.
Tuesday is likely to be the hottest day, with the potential to top the UK record temperature of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019, forecasters said.
Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse has said the Government is preparing for a “surge” in demand on the NHS and other services due to the expected heatwave.
After chairing a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee in Whitehall, Mr Malthouse urged the public to look out for people who were particularly vulnerable in the heat.
Avanti West Coast has warned passengers who wish to use services between London Euston and Scotland to plan ahead due to the impact of the heat on rail lines.
The company said that weekend services may be cancelled at short notice while journeys on Monday and Tuesday will be subject to amended timetables.