A yellow heat health alert has been extended for Essex on what is likely to be the "hottest day of the year".

The alert started at 9am on Sunday (August 11) and will now be in place until 9am on Wednesday (August 14).

The alert means those who are particularly vulnerable, such as the elderly with multiple health conditions, are likely to struggle to cope with the heat, and action may be required within the health and social care sector.

It comes as temperatures could reach 34C in parts of Essex, including Basildon and Grays, today in a sharp peak of heat and humidity before an expected return to average levels on Tuesday, the Met Office said.

However, temperatures are unlikely to exceed the 40.3C recorded at Coningsby, Lincolnshire, on July 19 2022, the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, according to the weather experts.

Met Office forecaster Craig Snell said: “It’s going to be hot.

“The weather is coming with a lot of humidity, so it will feel quite uncomfortable out there across central eastern England.

“Elsewhere, it’s still going to be warm and humid, but the hottest weather will be in central eastern England.”

London, East Anglia and the home counties will experience the warmest weather. The Met Office recommends that people keep curtains closed during the peak of the day and drink lots of water.

The hottest day of 2024 so far was Friday July 19, where temperatures reached 31.9C in central London.