Red alert issued as extreme heat grips parts of England and Wales

The Met Office issues a rare red warning for extreme heat, covering parts of England and Wales

It comes into place at 09:00 on Wednesday and will last until 21:00 the following day for central, southern and south-east England, and parts of south Wales

Red warnings - the highest level - mean officials believe there could be danger to life, as well as risks to power and transport - what do the other types of warning mean?

A separate amber alert is already in effect until tomorrow, also for parts of England and Wales, with temperatures due to reach 38-39C in some areas over the next few days

This heatwave is not limited to the UK, with western Europe also affected. In France, nearly 850 schools are closed due to high temperatures

-BBC