Amber heat health alert in force as temperatures to soar above 30C amid severe weather warnings in Europe

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued an amber heat alert with temperatures potentially getting as high as 36C on Monday before dropping to 31C on Tuesday.

It comes as temperatures soar across Europe, with the extreme heat being attributed to a blast of hot air heading north from Africa.

The UKHSA alert covers London, the south east, south west and east of England.

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It also covers Somerset, where the Glastonbury Festival is currently taking place.

A yellow heat health alert also covers Yorkshire and The Humber.

This marks the second amber heat health alert of this month alone, with the first coming into effect on June 19.

While temperatures are expected to hit 30C in parts of England today, the mercury is only set to rise as we move through the weekend.

This latest heatwave is expected to peak on Monday, with forecaster predicting highs of 34 or even 36C.

An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.

Met Office meteorologist Craig Snell said: “From Friday onwards we're starting to once again see the heat build across England and Wales.

“Scotland and Northern Ireland are going to have a slightly different few days, some parts of western Scotland could see some heavy rain, especially on Friday, and we could potentially see some further rain towards the end of the weekend.

“On Friday, we're likely to see temperatures potentially peak around 27C or 28C in central and southern parts of England, it's going to feel quite humid.

“On Saturday, the hottest weather will be in the south east, potentially 30C. On Sunday, we're most likely to see somewhere around 30C or 31C.

“It looks like the peak of the hot spell will be Monday, at the moment it's looking between 32C and 34C, there's a chance it'll be hotter than the previous (heatwave).

“Tuesday, some fresher air is going to spread across the country, but we're potentially likely to see between 31C and 33C.”

Parts of Spain are also under severe weather warnings as temperatures climb as high as 39C - and it’s set to get even hotter with temperatures of 40C predicted for Sunday.

People in Spain are being advised to ‘remain indoors as much as possible’ and avoid any strenuous outdoor activities. The hot weather has already claimed the life of one tourist who succumbed to heatstroke on the island of Mallorca.

Temperatures are also soaring in Italy, Turkey and the Balkans.

A motorway in northern Italy was closed yesterday as it had melted due to the heat, according to local media.

A red heat alert has been issued for Rome, Milan and Venice.

Greece and Albania have both been hit by wildfires.

The extreme hot weather has also brought with it violent storms. Two people were killed yesterday and 17 more injured during a torrential downpour in France that left the streets of Paris flooded.

In the south of France, a falling tree killed a 12-year-old child, and in northern France a man died when his quad bike hit a toppled tree.

Greece and Albania have both been hit by wildfires.

The extreme hot weather has also brought with it violent storms.

Two people were killed on Thursday and 17 more injured during a torrential downpour in France that left the streets of Paris flooded.In the south of France, a falling tree killed a 12-year-old child, and in northern France a man died when his quad bike hit a toppled tree.