Where are the hottest places in the UK today?

Some places could see hottest day on record this week as temperatures set to soar to 42C

The UK is expected to have the hottest day on record this week, with temperatures set to skyrocket to 42C as a heatwave grips the nation.

The rise in temperatures has forced the UK Health Security Agency to issue a level 4 heat-health alert - described as an “emergency” - while the Met Office has issued the UK’s first red extreme heat warning, with both running from Monday to Wednesday.

The hottest temperatures are expected on Monday and Tuesday, with highs of 42C possible.

London is expected to bear the brunt of the heat, with the capital predicted to be hotter than the Caribbean, the Western Sahara and popular holiday destinations in Europe as temperatures soar.

Other areas of England will also experience hotter weather than the holiday destinations, with the Midlands predicted to see highs of 37C, East Anglia with 36C and the northwest and northeast with 33C.

Parts of Scotland are also expected to see temperatures in the mid to high 20s, which is well above average for this time of year.

A red “extreme heat” warning is in place for London and much of the southeast, the Midlands, the east and northwest of England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and Gloucestershire in the southwest.

An amber warning covers the rest of England and Wales and the bottom half of Scotland.

London is expected to bear the brunt of the heat with highs of up to 42C possible (BBC)

Tuesday is predicted to be even hotter than Monday, with temperatures possibly hitting a new record for England (BBC)

It comes as new records were broken in Wales and Northern Ireland on Sunday.

Hawarden, a village in northern Wales, reached 33C while Armagh in Northern Ireland was 27.7C.

Tuesday is predicted to be even hotter than Monday, with temperatures possibly reaching 40C – a new record for England.

Meanwhile, BBC Weather presenter and meteorologist Simon King has said temperatures could reach 42C in the East Midlands on Tuesday – tweeting that this level of heat “just shouldn’t happen.”

People enjoy the hot weather at Hathersage open air swimming pool at Hope Valley, near Sheffield (Danny Lawson/PA)

Scientists at the Met Office have said the 40C prediction is a result of climate change, warning that the 40C figure “could be as much as 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a natural climate unaffected by human influence”.

Some schools in several counties, including Nottinghamshire and Hampshire, have confirmed they will close, while train companies urged people not to travel on Monday and Tuesday.

Network Rail will close the East Coast Main Line between noon and 8pm on Tuesday for all locations between London King’s Cross and York and Leeds, with passengers warned not to travel.