Amber extreme heat warning issued as 35C heatwave approaches

The Met Office has issued an amber extreme heat warning for parts of southern and eastern England and south Wales.

The warning, external is valid for Monday and Tuesday and warns of temperatures peaking at 35C (95F).

The nights will also be hot, remaining above 20C in some locations.

The developing heatwave is likely to have widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.

It brings the risk of impacts to health, especially for vulnerable people, and the danger of sunburn and heat exhaustion in the wider population.

People travelling to coasts, lakes and rivers are being warned to stay safe in and around water.

Some travel delays and disruption are also likely.

This is only the sixth amber extreme heat warning that has been issued by the Met Office since they were introduced in 2021 - and the first since August 2022.

A more severe red warning was also issued in the July of that year.

It is separate from the amber and yellow Heat Health Alerts that had already been issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Those alerts, valid for regions of southern and eastern England until Tuesday, warn of significant impacts to health and social care services - with a likely increase in deaths among elderly and vulnerable people.

In contrast, this Met Office warning suggests that the heat will have effects on the general population.

Temperatures on Friday are due to peak at 31-32C (88-90F) in south-east England, although it will remain cooler in northern and western parts of the UK where rain will continue to fall.

Slightly cooler air will arrive from the west on Saturday, although highs of 27 or 28C (81-82F) are still likely.

However, heat will build again from Sunday and by Monday and Tuesday temperatures will peak at 34 or 35C (93-95F) in south-east England.

By that stage, large swathes of England and Wales will see highs into the high-20s or low-30s Celsius.

It is very likely that many places will reach official heatwave criteria, and there is a chance that the UK's June temperature record of 35.6C (96.1F), set in 1957 and 1976 will be broken.

Long spells of sunshine will bring high or very high UV levels and pollen levels are also forecast to be very high in places.

High humidity will make it feel particularly uncomfortable and overnight temperatures may remain above 20C (68F) in places, giving little relief from the heat.

Some heavy downpours and thunderstorms are also possible, which could also bring localised disruption.

Scotland and Northern Ireland will avoid the worst of the heat but will still reach the low to mid-20s Celsius.

The forecast for the second half of next week is more uncertain but it is possible that heat could linger, particularly in the south.

Current forecasts suggest some places could possibly see seven consecutive days of temperatures above 30C.

You can check the latest forecast for your area on the BBC Weather website and app.

Heat has been building across western and central Europe this week and will continue to intensify over the next few days.

Temperatures in parts of France are expected to climb into the low to mid-40s Celsius with some temperature records under threat.

Southerly winds will lift some of that heat into the south and east of England, which is why temperatures are climbing so significantly.

It follows the historic hot spell in late May which brought highs of 35.1C (95.1F), breaking the UK's temperature record for that month.

The frequency of heatwaves is increasing globally due to the effects of human-enduced climate change.

The Met Office projects that hot spells will become more common in our changing climate, particularly in the south-east of the UK, saying it is "virtually certain that human influence has increased the occurrence and severity of extreme heat events".

The developing El Niño is not responsible for this current hot spell, with the peak effects expected later this year and into 2027.