Britain is on alert for record breaking heat after a deadly heatwave in France killed at least 18 people, including two young children found unconscious in a family car.
Forecasters warned that temperatures in the UK could climb close to 39C this week as the extreme heat sweeping across western Europe moves north across the Channel.
The Met Office said parts of southern and central England, as well as areas of Wales, could see four days of dangerous heat. If temperatures pass 35.6C, Britain would break its June record, first set in 1957 and matched in 1976.
The UK Health Security Agency has issued a rare heat health warning, saying the conditions could pose a risk even to healthy people. Older people, young children and those with health conditions have been urged to take extra care.
The warning comes after France recorded a series of heat related deaths. Two children, aged two and four, died after being found by their mother in a hot car outside their home in Carpentras, south east France. Emergency workers were unable to save them.
In the Bordeaux region, three elderly people aged between 80 and 95 also died from health problems linked to the extreme temperatures.
France has closed some schools and changed timetables as cities recorded historic highs. Bordeaux reached 41.9C, breaking a record set last year, while Poitiers hit 41.2C, beating a previous high from 1947.
Paris was also expected to record its hottest June day, with temperatures reaching around 38.4C.
The heat has also gripped Spain, where San Sebastian in the normally cooler north was forecast to reach 40C, more than double its usual average for this time of year.
Experts say the heatwave is being driven by an Omega block, a slow moving weather pattern that traps hot air over Europe. The system is pulling warm air from North Africa and the Sahara, leaving many areas with little wind or relief.
The Met Office said humidity will make the UK heat feel even more intense, with some areas also facing tropical nights, when temperatures stay above 20C.
Officials have warned people to stay hydrated, avoid the strongest sun and check on vulnerable relatives and neighbours as Britain prepares for what could be its hottest June spell on record.
