ondon is predicted to be hotter than the CaribbeanWestern Sahara and popular holiday destinations in Europe with rising temperatures.
The With Office has predicted the capital could see spikes of 38°C as the heat wave crosses England.
The rise in temperatures has forced the UK Health Security Agency to issue a level 4 heat warning – described as an “emergency” – while the Met Office has issued the UK’s first red extreme heat warning, both Monday to Wednesday.
The scorching temperatures in the capital will make it warmer than in Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla, in Western Sahara (24C).
Other parts of England will also experience warmer weather than the holiday destinations, with temperatures forecasted at 37C in the Midlands, East Anglia at 36C and in the North West and North East at 33C.
It’s because new records were broken in Wales and Northern Ireland on Sunday.
Hawarden, a village in north Wales, reached 33C while Armagh in Northern Ireland was 27.7C.
Meanwhile, Tuesday is predicted to get even hotter, with temperatures potentially reaching 40C – a new record for England.
Scientists at the Met Office have said the 40C forecast is the result of climate change, warning that the 40C figure could be “as much as 10 times more likely in the current climate than in a natural climate unaffected by human influence” .
Some schools in several counties, including Nottinghamshire and Hampshire, have confirmed they will close, while train companies urged people not to travel Monday and Tuesday.
Network Rail will close the East Coast Main Line on Tuesday between 12pm and 8pm for all locations between London King’s Cross and York and Leeds, warning passengers not to travel.
Sam MacDougall, Network Rail’s director of operations said: “Closing the line to traffic is always a last resort, but it is the right thing to do to protect people Tuesday, given the unprecedented heat wave forecast.
“The predicted temperatures are well above those for which our infrastructure is designed, and safety must be paramount.”
Additional emergency relief for ambulance services, such as more call handlers and extra working hours, has been introduced, while the NHS Confederation chairman said hospitals will be “really, really under pressure” in the coming days.
Britons are urged to stay indoors during the hottest times of the day, between 11am and 4pm, and wear sunscreen and a hat, stay in the shade and stay hydrated with water.
Emergency services have also urged people to exercise caution when cooling off after the body of a boy was found in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Meanwhile, a search is underway after reports of concern over a man seen in a river in Northumberland on Sunday.
A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: “We were called at 4.12pm this afternoon due to reports of concerns about someone in the water off Piper Road in Ovingham.
“We currently have seven sources on site, but are unable to provide further information at this time.”