Weather warnings are issued by the Met Office for severe weather - this can be due to rain, snow, wind, thunderstorms, lightning, fog, ice or, in today's case, extreme heat.

An amber extreme heat warning - the second most severe warning issued by the Met Office - is in place for large parts of England today.

Until 23:59 today, that means:

• People - particularly those vulnerable to heat - could become ill, and there's also a wider risk of sunburn or heat exhaustion
• More people are likely to visit coastal areas, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents

• There could be delays to trains and on the roads
• Some heat sensitive equipment could fail - possibly leading to power cuts and the loss of other services

Darren Bett
Lead weather presenter

The amber extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office runs from 09:00 to 23:59 and warns of impacts on transport, infrastructure and health.

The area covered includes parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, the Midlands, East Anglia and southeast England. Maximum temperatures in this area could be 37C or 38C.

There is also amber heat health alert for the whole of England until 09:00 on Friday.

This is issued to Public Health England to help health authorities prepare for an increase in admissions relating to high temperatures.

You won’t find an alert for Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland as this service only applies to England.

An amber "extreme heat" warning, issued by the Met Office, has just taken effect.

This means from now until 23:59 tonight, extreme heat is expected across large parts of England, which could impact health, infrastructure and travel.

We'll bring you more on which areas are covered by the warning in our next post.

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

Conditions for staff and patients in the NHS and care sector have been undoubtedly difficult.

This morning the Royal College of Nursing has released testimonies from its members who said they had been suffering during the heatwaves.

They reported having to deliver care without access to air conditioning, fans or even windows that open.

Members reported "dripping with sweat from head to toe", with one claiming to have collapsed from dehydration after working a long shift on a ward with no ventilation.

Two members with pre-existing conditions reported having seizures brought on by the heat.

It came after Unison, which represents ambulance workers, criticised conditions last week.

The union said its members had reported being sent out in ambulances in stifling heat - often with limited access to drinking water or toilet facilities.

One ambulance technician from Birmingham told the union working in the heat was "vile".

"We have one uniform whether it's -10C or 30C. You're sweating even when you're just driving."

Nick Triggle
Health correspondent

This has been, arguably, the most difficult summer for the NHS in its history.

In fact, the pressures, particularly in A&E, have been described as bad as they are in winter.

England’s NHS medical director Prof Frankie Swords said the health service has had to deal with a summer "onslaught" – with the heatwaves and World Cup combining to create huge stresses.

June saw the most visits ever to A&E per day – over 80,000 on average. And this could well be beaten later on Thursday when the figures for July get released.

Alongside the risk of dehydration and heatstroke, a bout of extreme heat raises the chances of complications from chronic conditions like advanced heart, kidney and respiratory failure.

The pressures have been further complicated by equipment breaking down, including scanners and IT systems, while working conditions for staff have been described as inhumane as the NHS has struggled to keep buildings cool.

Darren Bett
Lead weather presenter

Here are the records that have been broken (so far) this summer:

• 37 days of 30C heat
• Eight days of 35C heat
• Four calendar months in a row to record 35C
• Highest June temperature of 38C
• Driest July in England and Wales

All of these are in line with evidence that summers are getting hotter and are likely to become drier because of climate change.

Even if temperatures during the rest of August remain "average", the Met Office still expects this summer to be the hottest ever, beating the previous record set just last year.

How are you being affected by the heatwave? Tell us how you are coping with the heat, and send us your pictures.

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Darren Bett
Lead weather presenter

Scotland and Northern Ireland will have more cloud with the chance of showers and even some longer spells of rain in north-west Scotland.

With some sunshine in eastern areas it will be very warm though with temperatures of 26C to 28C and it may feel more humid.

England and Wales will be hotter with light winds and strong sunshine with little or no cloud. Temperatures will widely reach 30C to 34C.

Parts of the Midlands, East Anglia and south-east England will be hotter with 35C to 37C likely.

It is possible the temperature could reach 38C – equalling the highest temperature of this year that was recorded in late June.

Rachel Flynn
Live reporter

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/ARCCLOUD9

It could be another record-breaking day, with temperatures in some parts of England likely to hit 37C - and possibly even 38C.

The last time we saw temperatures above 36C in August was 2020.

It's expected to be warmest in the east, south-east and the Midlands in England, according to the Met Office, with an amber extreme heat warning in place from 09:00 BST.

We'll have updates throughout the day, along with the tips and tricks to stay cool.