UK heatwave: Emergency planning in government amid fears temperatures could hit 40C

Chances of Sunday being hottest day on record are almost one in three, Met Office says

Britain could see its first ever national heatwave emergency this weekend as forecasters warn of dangerously high temperatures in the coming days.

The Met Office predicts the mercury will exceed 35C and could even reach 40C on Sunday. There is around a 30 per cent chance that the current heat record – of 38.7C set in Cambridge in 2019 – could be broken.

As parts of southeast England sweltered at 31C on Tuesday, the Met Office issued an updated “amber” extreme heat warning covering 17 and 18 July for much of England and Wales.