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A red warning for extreme heat has been issued for the first time for England on Monday and Tuesday, when temperatures could reach 40C for the first time.
The Met Office is warning of "an exceptional hot spell [...] leading to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure".
"Population-wide adverse health effects" are expected, "not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat".
Met Office spokesman, Grahame Madge, warned the rising heat is "potentially a very serious situation".
"We've just issued a red warning for extreme heat for Monday and Tuesday which is the first such warning ever issued.
"The warning covers an area from London up to Manchester and then up to the Vale of York."
Elsewhere, the existing amber warning has been extended to the rest of England, Wales, and parts of Scotland from Monday.
The Met Office has said the red warning means "adverse health effects" may be experienced and will not be limited to "those most vulnerable to extreme heat".
The weather could also lead to "serious illness or danger to life", the forecaster added.
"Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines will be required", the Met Office said.
The national weather service also warns there is a "high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and essential services, such as water or mobile phone services".
There will also be "significantly more people visiting coastal areas, lakes and rivers, leading to an increased risk of water safety incidents".
The public has also been warned to expect delays on roads, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.
Senior ministers assembled for a COBRA meeting earlier this week in anticipation of a national heatwave emergency being declared.
Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse warned the government is preparing for a surge in demand on the NHS and other services - as he urged the public to look out for people vulnerable in the heat.
Public transport is also set to be affected by the searing temperatures.
Avanti West Coast warned passengers travelling between London Euston and Scotland journeys could be disrupted due to the impact of heat on rail lines.
Services could be cancelled at short notice and on Monday and Tuesday will be subject to revised timetables.
The highest ever recorded temperature in Britain was 38.7C recorded in Cambridge University Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.
