Manchester is set to be hotter than Los Angeles and other popular holiday destinations this weekend following an amber heat warning.
Forecasters predict that large parts of Greater Manchester will see temperatures hit 29C on Saturday while Los Angeles will peak at 27C. Similarly, the mercury in both Gran Canaria and Istanbul will hit 28C, falling short of Manchester's blistering heat.
It comes as the Met Office today issued a 92-hour amber 'extreme heat' warning for parts of Greater Manchester from Thursday until Sunday. UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) also extended its heat-health alert from today until Sunday.
Read more: Met Office issues 'extreme heat' amber warning for parts of Greater Manchester
Temperatures are set to rise to 29C in Manchester, Salford, Bolton, Bury, Wigan and Stockport on Saturday. A level 2 warning has been issued for the north of England while a level 3 alert is in force for parts of southern and central England.
While temperatures will remain lower than the record-breaking highs of 37C in Greater Manchester and 40.3C in Lincolnshire during the last heatwave in July, the upcoming period of hot weather is expected to last longer.
Forecasters say high pressure building across the UK could send the mercury soaring to 35C with the peak expected on either Friday or Saturday. It comes after the country was hit by one of its driest Julys in decades, which fuelled a string of wildfires.
Police and fire slammed arsonists after four fires hit Saddleworth Moor last month. Marks and Spencer has pulled all disposable BBQs from its shelves to reduce the risk of dangerous grass fires.
Country Land and Business Association president, Mark Tufnell, has urged other retailers to follow in Marks and Spencer's steps. He said: "We ask them to help us protect farmland and natural habitats by not lighting barbecues, fires and other potentially hazardous materials such as sky lanterns."
The bout of dry and hot weather has led to two water suppliers imposing a hosepipe ban on its customers. Water levels in many parts of the country have been consistently dropping.
Haunting photos shows dramatically low water levels at Woodhead Reservoir. In the Pennine Sources, levels are down 1.9 per cent on last week and is expected to continue dropping over the summer period. Pennine Sources were at 57.6pc of capacity in the week ending July 10, presenting a near 7pc drop in water levels in less than a month.
Despite this, United Utilities says a regional network of pipes and water resources means that water can be shared across from Cumbria, where rainfall has been more consistent with expected levels at this time of year. A United Utilities spokesperson said: “Some parts of the North West region have seen less rainfall than others, particularly the Pennine area.
"However, our major water sources in Cumbria have seen more normal levels of rainfall and we can use our regional network of water resources and water pipes to move supplies to where they are needed. We are not considering any restrictions on use, but whatever the weather, we always encourage people to use water wisely, which saves energy and money and is good for the environment.”
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