Weather warning in London - amber extreme heat for the week

The Met Office has issued an amber heat warning from Monday to Thursday, with the alert covering large parts of the country, including southern England, central and eastern Wales and much of the Midlands.

Simon Partridge, a Met Office meteorologist, said: "It's a very unusual, very rare spell of very hot weather, so it's one of those ones where people should take care, try to keep their houses as cool as possible, check in on those that are vulnerable, so the very young and very old, in particular, are more vulnerable to extreme heat."

Temperatures in the area could reach up to 34C on Monday and rise to 37C by Tuesday.

Wednesday and Thursday could see highs of 38C in the area and further south, with the potential for even higher temperatures.

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The heatwave raises the possibility of breaking the UK's hottest June temperature on record of 35.6C, recorded in Southampton in 1976.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also issued a separate amber heat health alert for most of England.

It warns of significant risks to health and social care services and a likely increase in deaths, especially among those aged 65 and over or people with pre-existing health conditions.

The public is being advised to drink plenty of fluids, keep out of the sun, and avoid exercising between 11am and 3pm.

The Met Office has also warned of potential disruption to travel and infrastructure, including the risk of melting tarmac and problems with railway lines.

Mr Partridge said: "There's also potential for impacts to transport as well.

"We know that when things get very warm, there can sometimes be issues with railway lines, and even possibility that some roads might not be doing too well.

"If it gets too warm, you may even see a little bit of tarmac melting at times."

Humid conditions are expected throughout the week, with "tropical nights" likely, where temperatures remain above 20C overnight.

This could leave people struggling to sleep and feeling the effects of the heat more acutely.

The Met Office is advising people in the affected areas to check on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours, and take steps to keep indoor spaces as cool as possible.

The warning follows a previous heatwave in May during which at least 15 people died after entering open water.

Mr Partridge urged the public to avoid cooling off in lakes or rivers due to the risk of cold water shock.

He said: "We're also asking as well for everybody to just be very wary around bodies of water, because in the last heatwave, unfortunately, quite a few people lost their lives by going into cold water and getting cold water shock.

"That's still very much an issue, so just be careful how you cool yourself down.

"If there's the option between a hose pipe and jumping in the lake, probably go for the hose pipe and just keep yourself safer."

Across the UK, temperatures are expected to exceed 30C in most of England and Wales, with the hottest conditions predicted in areas between Bristol and London and south of the M4.

The heatwave is part of a wider European trend, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C in Rome, 39C in Madrid and more than 40C in parts of France.

In France, emergency services and military forces have been put on wildfire alert, public alcohol consumption restrictions have been put in place and some outdoor sporting events cancelled.

Last summer was the hottest on record in the UK, with a mean temperature of 16.1C recorded between June and August.

Mr Partridge said climate change is making such extreme heat events more common.

He said: "This is the second heatwave of this year already so it just shows that the warming climate means that these more extreme spells are becoming more frequent, and that's unfortunately just the way things are going at the moment and it doesn't seem to be slowing down."