A 'national emergency' alert has been issued for the country including Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and Dorset. 

The red 'level 4' alert is the highest that can be issued and says there will be some "exceptional temperatures" possible in places between 12am on Monday, July 17 and 12am on Wednesday, July 20. 

It comes as the Met Office issues a rare red weather alert for “extreme heat” in the coming days.

Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and the rest of Dorset remain in the amber zone.

The warning will be in force between 12am on Sunday, July 17 until 11.59pm on Tuesday, July 19.

Read more: Heatwave: what you need to know if you live in Dorset

A red warning is the highest alert the Met Office can give in times of extreme weather and they are issued when there is potential for a danger to life.

Grahame Madge, Met Office spokesman, said: “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.

“This is potentially a very serious situation.”

The red warning reads: “An exceptional hot spell on Monday and Tuesday leading to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure.”

Areas included in the red warning zone include London, Oxford, Nottingham, Milton Keynes, Chelmsford, Cambridge, Leicester, Stoke on Trent and Manchester.

In terms of what BCP and Dorset can expect, the Met Office says:

Population-wide adverse health effects are likely to be experienced, not limited to those most vulnerable to extreme heat, leading to potential serious illness or danger to life. Government advice is that 999 services should be used in emergencies only; seek advice from 111 if you need non-emergency health advice

Substantial changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required

Significantly more people are likely to visit coastal areas, lakes and rivers leading to increased risk of water safety incidents

Delays on roads and road closures are possible, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, with potential for significant welfare issues for those who experience even moderate delays

A spokesperson for the Met Office said: “Temperatures will rise again this weekend, most likely peaking on Monday or Tuesday, then most probably declining thereafter.

“Latest evidence supports the idea of a trend towards a slightly later onset of high temperatures. Some exceptionally high temperatures are possible both by day and by night; the cumulative effects of very warm nights (particularly in urbanised areas) and hot days are likely to bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure.

“Although most likely less exceptional, it should also be noted that very warm to hot conditions are also probable across the majority of the rest of the UK.”