UK issues new 'extreme heat' warning for England and Wales

Britain's weather department on Tuesday issued an amber "extreme heat" warning for parts of England and Wales.

Britain's weather service on Tuesday issued an amber "Extreme Heat" warning for parts of England and Wales, with no respite in sight from hot dry conditions that have sparked fires, broken temperature records and strained the nation's infrastructure.

The amber warning — the second-most severe after red — will be in place from Thursday through to the end of Sunday and means that people vulnerable to extreme heat could face adverse health effects, the UK Met Office said.

Temperatures are expected to peak at 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) on Friday and may hit 36C in some places on Saturday.

The warning follows the driest July for England since 1935, when temperatures rose above 40C for the first time, turning a renewed spotlight to the impacts of climate change.

Other European nations have also faced a scorching heatwave in recent weeks with temperatures often exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.

Britain, which is less used to such high temperatures, has struggled to cope.

July's heatwave caused power outages, damaged airport runways, buckled rail tracks and ignited dozens of blazes in London, where the fire brigade faced its busiest week since World War Two.