Britain’s heatwave could continue for several months, with warmer than average temperatures likely until October.
A Met Office outlook says that above average temperatures are more likely in the months until October, and the chances that they will be in the warmest of all five categories is 55%.
But while the temperatures are set to remain high for most of this week, they are likely to drop over this weekend to around the mid-20s mark.
Met Office meteorologist Dean Hall said there will be “quite a marked change to the feel of things” when conditions turn “fresher and more changeable”.
He added that is likely to stay cooler throughout next weekend, with “no real sign of any return of the heat that we have been seeing over the recent days”.
It follows a sweltering weekend across the UK where the hottest temperature of 30.2C (86.36F) was recorded in Northolt, Greater London, on Sunday.
The mercury is set to rise past 30C (85F) in parts of the UK on Monday, with 33C (91F) possible in London and to the east of the capital, the Met Office said.
A level three heat health warning for the South East was issued as a result, with a 90% chance of heatwave conditions for the region between Monday and Wednesday.
Temperatures could edge a degree higher on Tuesday, potentially peaking at 34C (91.4F) in Essex or Norfolk.
England and Wales will generally stay dry and warm, with the exception of possible thunderstorms across the southeast on Tuesday.
However, not all of the UK will see blue skies – much of Scotland and Northern Ireland will start the week with some rain.
Last week, records were smashed in eight areas of Portugal, while Lisbon broke a 37-year-old record with thermometers reaching 44C (111.2F) on Sunday.
British holidaymakers abroad have been warned to avoid spending time in the sun during the hottest part of the day and to keep hydrated as temperatures remain especially high in some European countries.
Red health alerts for extreme heat have been issued for more than half of Portugal, with thermometers passing 46C (114.8F) over the weekend.
The hot, dry conditions have led to several wildfires.
In Spain, heat warnings were issued for 41 of the country’s 50 provinces.
Authorities said the conditions played a part in the deaths of two men, one in Barcelona and the other in the southern Spanish region of Murcia.
From – SkyNews