Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services and some schools to close while ministers urged the public to stay at home.
Much of Europe is baking in a heatwave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius (over 110 Fahrenheit) in some regions, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France.
Britain's government triggered a "national emergency" alert as temperatures on Monday and Tuesday were forecast to surpass the 38.7C (102F) recorded in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden in 2019.
By midday, readings of almost 35C were being recorded in southern England.
"We've got a difficult 48 hours coming," Kit Malthouse, a minister in charge of government coordination, told BBC radio. He will later chair a meeting of the government's emergency response committee.
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