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The UK is preparing for the hottest temperatures on record this week.

A red warning has been put out by the UK's weather service, the Met Office, across much of England including the cities of London, Birmingham, York and Manchester.

A red warning means that the Met Office believe these temperatures are dangerous, and anyone living in these areas should take steps to protect themselves.

High temperatures are also forecast across the UK - with amber warnings in the rest of England, all of Wales, and parts of Scotland.

Monday is looking like the hottest day on record in Wales, according to the Met Office - with temperatures reaching 37.1 degrees Celsius.

Some schools plan to close early - or not open at all - although the government has not said schools need to shut.

Emergency services are preparing to help people who are unwell in the hot weather.

Record highs in Cambridge

The hottest day ever on record was recorded in Cambridge in 2019 - 38.7 degrees Celsius.

But it's thought that Cambridge will break the record again this week, with temperatures expected to climb to 40 degrees Celsius or more.

London is set to be one of the hottest places in the world on Monday, with temperatures soaring above the Western Sahara and the Caribbean.

High temperatures will also impact travel.

Network Rail are asking that people only travel on trains if they absolutely have to and Highways England say that everyone should bring a bottle of water with them on car journeys.

Some schools are planning to close early.

And some water supply companies in the south and east of England say water pressure may be low or may even be interrupted because of the increased demand.

Why is this happening?

The hot weather is travelling across Europe with many countries experiencing soaring temperatures and wildfires.

While heatwaves are a common weather event, experts say that human-made climate change have caused an increase in the number of heatwaves and an extreme rise in their temperatures.

This is why we are seeing highest temperature records being broken so often.

Met Office chief executive Prof Penny Endersby says that climate change is behind many "severe weather events around the world" and that this means "it can be difficult to make the best decisions because nothing in our life experiences has led us to know what to expect."

How can I stay safe?

The UK's Health Security Agency have lots of advice on how to stay safe in the hot weather:

And they have encouraged us to look out for vulnerable people and animals who might not be as able to protect themselves, like very young children, the elderly and pets.

Newsround have lots of guides on what you can do to stay safe - you can read more here.

If you're worried about the heat, make sure you speak to an adult you trust on what you can do.