Forecasters are predicting one of the best British summers in living memory
The UK heatwave which gave the country its driest June on record may well last into August.
A government health alert across southern England was this morning set one level below national emergency.
Issued by the Met Office and Public Health England, the level-3 heat watch advisory is in place until tomorrow night.
Temperatures could reach 35C in the next few weeks and the Met Office has said that areas of England received only six per cent of their expected rainfall, making it the driest June on record for south east and central southern England.
Essex received only 1.7mm of rainfall and Scotland clocked its highest ever temperature, of 33.2C, in Motherwell during the month.
Wildfires have started on Saddleworth Moor and Winter Hill.
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Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “It will be a warm start to Tuesday, there is the risk of one or two showers over the Channel Isles, they can’t be completely ruled out across the south-west.
“But for most places, it will be dry and sunny.
“Parts of eastern England will start quite grey and mist and low cloud will move back to coasts. Some of the beaches may just stay a little misty but for most it is all about the sunshine.
“We are not going to see too much sunshine in Shetland though, here I think it will stay quite cloudy.
“Of course cloud has a big impact on temperatures, so the highest values through Tuesday will be again across the Midlands, parts of southern England and south Wales. It will get into the high 20s here.”
“But it will be cooler on the east coast, especially if it does stay misty, but generally the coasts will be much cooler with some sea breezes developing.
“We will keep a lot of cloud in Shetland through the evening and there is the small chance of a shower in the south-west but for most it is going to be a barmy summer evening.
“If you have got plans it may just turn a little bit cloudy and a little bit cooler once more on those eastern coasts.”
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(Credit: Matt Cardy)
Will Lang is a chief meteorologist. Will said: “All parts of the UK will see plenty of sunshine this week, although mist and low cloud along North Sea coasts will be slow to clear at times.
“Showers will develop at times, and there is a low risk that these could be heavy in places. Although most places will remain dry, sunny and very warm through much of this week, conditions in the north and north west will often be cooler and cloudier.”
The sun is at its strongest at this time of year and UV levels will be high or very high
Dr Thomas Waite of Public Health England said: “We know that when weather like this hits many people will head outdoors and make the most of the sunshine – but for others high temperatures, over more than a day or two, can be really uncomfortable and pose a significant risk to health.
“This is because their bodies may struggle to adapt to working harder, as all our bodies do when the weather gets this hot, and they can become ill.
“It’s vitally important that we keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk. For others the best thing to do is avoid the sun during the hottest parts of the day, carry water with you when travelling and if going out to large events, and we know lots of people will be watching football this week: think what you can do stay cool.
“It’s also worth remembering to think about keeping homes cool, as this can aid sleeping at night and give the body time to recover from the heat of the day.”
Forestry Commission Spokesperson, Stuart Burgess, said: “Every year, fire destroys thousands of hectares of countryside. They are a threat to people, wildlife, forests, woodlands and trees.
“Although some fires are started deliberately, most of them are due to carelessness. Thankfully major forest fires are rare and we remind everyone to take care all the time, not only during dry spells.”
