A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for the first time for England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures could reach 40C for the first time.

The Met Office is warning of "an exceptional hot spell leading to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure".

⚠️⚠️🔴 Red Extreme heat warning issued 🔴⚠️⚠️

Parts of England on Monday and Tuesday

Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMg9c70

Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/YHaYvaGh95
— Met Office (@metoffice) July 15, 2022

"Population-wide adverse health effects" are expected, "not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat".

Met Office spokesman, Grahame Madge, warned the rising heat is "potentially a very serious situation".

"We've just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued.

IRELAND

A status yellow high temperature warning has also been issued for Ireland this morning by Met Éireann with this possibility been upgraded for some areas this weekend.

Status Yellow - High Temperature warning for Ireland

Met Éireann Weather Warning

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday exceptionally warm weather will occur over Ireland with daytime temperatures of 25 to 30 degrees generally and possibly up to 32 degrees in places on Monday. Night time temperatures will range from 15 to 20 degrees.

Impacts:
• Heat stress, especially for the more vulnerable of the population
• High Solar UV index
• Risk of water related incidents

See Fire danger notice and full safety advice on www.gov.ie/summerready

Valid: 06:00 Sunday 17/07/2022 to 21:00 Tuesday 19/07/2022

Issued: 09:48 Friday 15/07/2022

EUROPE

New records have been set as temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) across much of Spain and Portugal Wednesday amid a persistent heat wave across western Europe.

In northwest Spain, the city of Ourense set its all-time temperature record of 43.2 degrees Celsius (109.76 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, according to Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET.

On Wednesday, Zamora set its own record after reaching 41.1 degrees Celsius (105.98 degrees Fahrenheit), according to climate statistician Max Herrera. Soria set a record of 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.66 degrees Fahrenheit) that same day.

The central Portuguese town of Lousã set an all-time record of 46.3 degrees Celsius (115.34 degrees Fahrenheit) and Lisbon set a July record of 41.4 degrees Celsius (106.52 degrees Fahrenheit).

Portugal continues to be one of the countries hardest hit by the current heat wave across western Europe. There are currently 1,656 firefighters fighting the 10 active rural fires across Portugal, the Portuguese Civil Protection Services said Thursday.

More than 7,400 acres of forest have been burned in the Leiria district in central Portugal, according to the municipality of Leiria.