UK heatwave LIVE weather, traffic and school closures updates with red extreme heat warning in place

Greater Manchester has been placed under a rare red weather warning for extreme heat as temperatures are set to soar across the region on Monday. The warning, the first of its kind, covers a large area of England from London up to Manchester and Yorkshire and will be in place until Tuesday night.

According to the Met Office, temperatures will reach the mid-30s in Greater Manchester with some boroughs seeing highs of 36C on Monday. People are being warned to stay safe in the extreme heat, which could pose a danger to life, according to the Met Office.

A spokesperson for the weather agency said: "Currently there is a 50 per cent chance we could see temperatures top 40°C and 80 per cent we will see a new maximum temperature reached. Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas. This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects.”

READ MORE: Monday's hour-by-hour forecast for each borough of Greater Manchester

The Heat Health Warning for England has also been raised to Level 4, which signifies a 'national emergency', by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Level 4 is reached “when a heatwave is so severe and/or prolonged that its effects extend outside the health and social care system… At this level, illness and death may occur among the fit and healthy, and not just in high-risk groups,” according to the UKHSA.

Ministers held a virtual emergency Cobra meeting over the weekend after meteorologists warned the record high temperatures could put lives at risk. Additional contingency support for ambulance services, such as more