UK heatwave: Four-day extreme heat warning issued for parts of England and Wales

The Met Office has issued a four-day amber extreme heat warning, meaning vulnerable people's health could be impacted and travel could be disrupted.

The warning applies to southern and central England and parts of Wales from midnight on Thursday until Sunday.

Temperatures are set to reach up to 35C (95F) in some areas and Thames Water has become the latest water firm to announce hosepipe ban plans.

Emergency services were called to North Met Lake, off Cadmore Lane in Cheshunt, just after 17:00BST on Monday, police said.

The Met Office said temperatures this week would remain below last month's record highs, but that this heatwave could last longer.

The Met Office warning is one of several alerts aimed at preparing the country for the heat:

While the warnings remain lower than those issued during last month's record temperatures the UKHSA's Dr Agostinho Sousa emphasised it is important vulnerable people, like the elderly who live alone or anyone with underlying health conditions, are "prepared for coping during the hot weather".

"The most important advice is to ensure they stay hydrated, keep cool and take steps to prevent their homes from overheating," he added.

Fazilet Hadi from Disability Rights UK said disabled people could be particularly affected by heat, and may suffer fatigue, difficulty regulating their body temperatures, or problems moving to cooler spots in the home.

"Family, friends and neighbours should check that disabled and older people have the support they need. We do this in cold weather but heat can be equally dangerous," she said.

England had its driest July this year since 1935, according to the Met Office, while south-east and central southern England had the driest month since records began in 1836.

Between the start of this year and 6 August, the south-east recorded 144 days with average rainfall of less than 0.5mm. Of those, 57 saw no rain at all.

Warnings of the threat posed by wildfires have been issued, with fire services urging people not to light bonfires or barbecues, or let off fireworks or sky lanterns.

The heatwave combined with months of dry weather have also led to increasing problems for farmers, with grass not growing and irrigation water running low cited as two key concerns.

Thames Water said it would be announcing restrictions on water use in response to forecasts of more hot and dry weather, with the exact timings would be confirmed later.

Hosepipe bans are already in force in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, and others are due to come into force in Kent, Sussex, Pembrokeshire, and Carmarthenshire.

The UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has warned river flows are set to remain exceptionally low in central, southern and eastern England until October.

Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said a "fairly widespread heatwave" was developing across the UK this week with the peak of the temperatures likely to be on Friday or Saturday.

Temperatures will build from 28C or 29C on Tuesday and reach the low to mid-30s from Thursday, Mr Morgan said.

"It does look like a prolonged period of dry weather and obviously that's bad news for southern England where some rain would really be useful now."

He added that the West Midlands and the West Country could see the highest temperatures with a maximum of around 35C, but this is uncertain.

The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began, and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.

We are living in the hottest period for 125,000 years, according to the UN's climate science body, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

How is the hot weather affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways: