What is a red heat warning?
BRITS are used to changeable weather conditions - and at times can even experience serious heat.
With a heatwave hitting much of the country in July 2022 the Met Office has issued a red heat warning.
What is a red heat warning?
Brits have been heading out to enjoy the sunny weather.
And the heatwave is expected to continue with the Met Office issuing a red heat warning for Monday, July 18, and Tuesday, July 19, with temperatures having the potential of hitting 40 degrees Celsius.
In the Met Office's weather warning system, a red warning is the highest level.
Red warnings are reserved for cases where the weather could cause serious illness, such as in extreme heat.
Met Office warnings work on weather predictions, much like the usual forecast, and are likely to change but are used to alert citizens to the possibility of dangerous weather.
Extreme heat can cause problems for transport links as well as other vital systems, with many already calling for school closures.
READ MORE IN HOW TO KEEP COOL
People across the UK have been advised to try and keep cool in the heatwave, even at 20 degrees.
Advice is to drink lots of water, stay out of the sun in cool shaded areas and look out for signs of heat related illnesses.
The warnings stretch from London to the Midlands and extends to Manchester and York.
When was the red heat warning last issued in the UK?
Red heat warnings are very rare in the UK due to our usual climate being quite cool.
The hottest recorded temperature in the UK is 38.7 degrees in 2019.
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A heatwave is declared when temperatures exceed a set threshold for three consecutive days - this is usually set at 30 degrees during the day and 15 degrees at night.
A Met Office study found that Britain is experiencing higher maximum temperatures and longer warm spells in recent years, likely due to the overall global warming impact.
The hottest temperature on record for any country is 56.7 degrees in Death Valley, USA, on July 13, 1913.
UK laws do not have a limit on how hot workplaces can be, although most MPs backed legislation to put a cap at 30 degrees.