麻豆社

Link to newsround

Rare red warning for extreme heat in parts of England and Wales

Close-up side profile of a young girl using a handheld portable fan outdoors under a bright blue sky during a hot summer day. Getty Images

Temperatures are expected to rise to record breaking levels this week in parts of the UK.

A rare red extreme heat warning has been issued by the Met Office for Wednesday and Thursday.

A red warning is the highest level of alert used by the Met Office.

It covers parts of southern England, as well as the Midlands and southern Wales.

There is an amber warning for Monday and Tuesday across parts of England and Wales, where temperatures are expected to reach the low to mid 30 degrees.

Young Asian girl in school uniform applying sunscreen lotion to her hands before heading out for school, assisted by her parent. Getty Images

Schools are reminding children and parents to pack suncream and sun hats

A number of schools across the West of England have closed early due to concerns over staff and pupils spending prolonged periods inside stuffy classrooms.

Some schools in Wiltshire have ended lessons at 12:30pm on Monday, while in Gloucester a school is closing at 1.30pm every day until Thursday.

It's also been suggested that pupils can wear their PE kits to class, and sunscreen and sun hats are needed.

麻豆社 Education reporter Vanessa Clarke has said that lessons may be moved to cooler areas of schools and hot meals may be switched for colder options.

Peoole walking under and umbrella in the heat towards the Eiffel Tower. Reuters

Here in Paris, in France, this couple are trying to stay cool by using an umbrella for shade

Europe has been experiencing an intense heatwave across the continent over the last few days.

In France, 845 schools have closed due to the warm weather, while in Spain's Basque region companies are being asked to adapt timetables for workers

The heat is being caused by a mass of hot air and the creation of what's called a heat dome.

As the hot air pushes up toward the UK it's thought temperatures could remain high for several days.

Coping with hayfever

Weather alerts are used to warn the public when high temperatures might be a risk to health or cause disruption to services or travel.

On Sunday, an official heatwave was declared at Writtle in Essex.

For a hot spell to officially become a heatwave, temperatures must rise above a particular level for three consecutive days.

The necessary level varies from 25-28C in different parts of the country.

Warnings for high UV and pollen levels are also in place.

Experts say heatwaves are happening more regularly and becoming more intense, as a result of climate change.