The Met Office has extended its amber heatwave warning to more of Scotland for Monday and Tuesday with temperatures in the high 20s and low 30s expected across the eastern edge of the country.
Forecasters had anticipated extreme weather conditions in the Borders at the start of next week and had previously warned that the uncomfortable conditions may creep across the country. The Met Office has now upgraded the warning to cover huge swathes of the central belt and the east of Scotland including Lanarkshire, the Lothians, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Perth and Dundee.
The warning is in place from the start of Monday until the end of Tuesday - with meteorologists warning of "widespread impacts on people and infrastructure". Temperatures will peak at 30C on Tuesday across eastern Scotland, while some areas of Tayside and Fife will see the mercury hit 27C.
Scots are being warned to be aware of adverse health effects including sunburn and heat exhaustion, while employers are being advised to consider changes to work practices to keep staff safe.
HM Coastguard and the RNLI have also issued stern cautions to those who are tempted to take a dip in the sea during the hot spells - with increased callouts of emergency crews expected. Sam Hughes, from the RNLI Water Safety Team, said: "It is great to hear that the sun is on its way, but we want to remind everyone to stay safe at the coast."
The heatwave has caused chaos across Europe as temperatures reached record highs of 47C in Portugal and 45C in France. The unnatural warmth has caused wildfires in Portugal, France and Spain, with Scots fleeing holiday resorts in the Costa del Sol after it was struck by an enormous blaze.
Weather experts have urged people to take care despite the apparent summer-friendly conditions. Chris Page, an ITV weatherman, took to social media to warn people that the high temperatures were not "just summer", writing: ""This is not hype. The Met Office red and amber extreme heat warnings have been issued for a reason."
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