Ministers will hold another emergency Cobra meeting over the UK heatwave as potentially deadly temperatures loom.
The Met Office is saying 40C could be on the cards next week for the first time in UK history, with temperatures set to rocket on Monday and Tuesday.
It has issued its first red warning for extreme heat for many parts of England, meaning the extreme weather could lead to “serious illness or danger to life”.
A national emergency is also being declared over a heatwave for the first time in the country’s history, which carries the warning fit and healthy people could fall ill and even die from the heat.
The threshold is reached when a heatwave is “so severe” or “prolonged” that its impacts extend beyond the health sector – which has faced intense pressure due to soaring temperatures.
Temperatures are expected to soar on Monday and Tuesday, with Transport for London telling the public to only make essential journeys to stay safe.
