There is a heat-health alert in place for Kent with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30s in some places.

An amber warning is in force until 9am on Monday - an upgrade on previous yellow alerts that had been in place last week.

It is anticipated temperatures will peak this afternoon with some forecasts predicting eastern areas seeing 34C.

The raised amber alert indicates that “significant impacts are likely” across health and social care services as England’s scorching weather continues.

A rise in deaths, particularly among those ages 65 and over or with health conditions, is also a risk, say officials, alongside an impact on younger age groups who may be vulnerable to the ongoing extreme temperatures.

There are warnings too for care settings - such as hospitals and care homes - that inside temperatures could exceed the “recommended threshold for clinical risk assessment” while the heat may also affect the ability of the workforce to “deliver services” or “manage medicines” the warning adds.

A heatwave is officially declared in the UK when temperatures exceed a certain level for three days in a row, with thresholds ranging from 25C to 28C depending on the area.

Speaking last week, deputy chief meteorologist for the Met Office, Dan Holley, said: “The highest temperatures from this hot spell are forecast for Saturday, with low 30s Celsius fairly widely across England, and up to 34C possible in eastern areas.

“The nights will also be quite warm, with the possibility of temperatures not falling below 20C in some areas, making it hard to sleep. This is what we term a ‘tropical night’.”