The Met Office has broadened the amber weather warning to include all of southwestern England as record-breaking temperatures are expected to hit the UK early next week.

On Monday and Tuesday (July 18-19) temperatures are likely to reach over 30C in Devon and possibly even hit the high 30s in some parts of England. The Met Office has now issued its first red weather warning for parts of central, northern, eastern and southeastern England and warned that the extreme heat could lead to serious illness and severe disruptions to travel, power supplies and normal routines.

Met Office chief meteorologist Paul Gundersen, said: ‘Exceptional, perhaps record-breaking temperatures are likely early next week, quite widely across the red warning area on Monday, and focused a little more east and north on Tuesday. Currently there is a 50% chance we could see temperatures top 40C and 80% we will see a new maximum temperature reached.

‘Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects.’

The UK Health Security Agency has also announced a national emergency as it increased its Heat Health Warning to Level 4 for England, meaning that temperatures are expected to be so severe that it will affect many areas of life and could affect the health, or result in the death, of even the most fit and healthy people.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, head of extreme events and health protection at UKHSA, said: ‘Heat-health alerts have now been issued to the majority of the country, with temperatures set to remain consistently high throughout the duration of the weekend and the start of next week.

‘It is important to keep yourself hydrated and to find shade where possible when UV rays are strongest, between 11am and 3pm.’

This is the first time that temperatures of 40C have been forecast in the UK with the current record standing at 38.7C, which was reached at Cambridge Botanic Garden on July 2 in 2019.

The Met Office expects temperatures to return to normal for the time of year from the middle of next week onwards.