UK heatwave: Government contingency planning as temperatures could hit 40C

Britain could experience its first-ever national heatwave emergency this weekend as forecasters warn of dangerously high temperatures in the coming days.

The Met Office predicts the mercury will rise above 35C and could even reach 40C on Sunday. There's a roughly 30% chance the current heat record - of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019 - will be broken.

While parts of southeast England have been sweltering At 31C on Tuesday, the Met Office issued an 'amber' extreme heat warning update covering July 17-18 for much of England and Wales.

Exceptionally high temperatures are expected to peak on Monday and the heat wave could last until next Tuesday.

< p>According to the official heat wave plan for England, the decision whether or not to declare an emergency would be taken from manner coordinated by the Cabinet Office.

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Regions of southern England have already been placed on the second highest level of alert this week by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), a move that requires health services and social to take action to protect the vulnerable.

The Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS UK) has warned of the dangers of trying to cool off in lakes, quarries, rivers and other waterways in extremely hot weather as West Yorkshire Police say a boy in 16-year-old Alfie McCraw, from Wakefield, had died after struggling while swimming in the Aire and Calder Navigation.

On the roads, the RAC saw a 10% increase in breakdowns o n Monday compared to a typical Monday in mid-July, with hundreds of vehicles across the UK unable to operate properly due to the heat.

Network Rail is preparing to introduce speed restrictions to reduce the likelihood of lanes warping as the heat wave continues, which will cause delays to passenger journeys and disrupt freight services.

While watering bans will not are not currently planned, Thames Water and Yorkshire Water are among those warning their reserve...