Britain will enjoy its first heatwave of the year this week with temperatures set to soar to 32C (90F) as some places will be hotter than parts of southern Europe.
Forecasters are expecting the heat to build gradually over the coming days - and most areas will reach levels above the heatwave threshold by the weekend.
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three days in a row, with thresholds varying from 25C (77F) to 28C (82F) in different parts.
In London - which has a 28C threshold - the mercury will hit 27C (81F) today and tomorrow, 29C (84F) on Thursday, 31C (88F) on Friday and 32C (90F) on Saturday.
The heat will also spread north towards the end of this week, with Manchester and Newcastle enjoying temperatures into the late 20Cs (low 80Fs) by the weekend.
