A RARE extreme heat alert which could pose a danger to life has been issued for Sussex later this week.

Temperatures are expected to soar on Sunday, with parts of Sussex expected to reach 30C.

The rare amber warning for extreme heat covers much of England, including all of Sussex, as well as parts of Wales.

The Met Office has warned that “exceptionally high” temperatures are possible on Sunday and “could lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure”.

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “Temperatures will build again later this week and over the coming weekend, likely peaking on Sunday and Monday.

“Some exceptionally high temperatures are possible and cumulative effects of warm nights and hot days are expected to bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure.”

The agency has said warned of possible delays on roads, along with delays to rail and air travel, and that population-wide adverse health effects are likely - which could lead to potentially serious illness or danger to life.

The warm temperatures are expected to continue into next week, with the heat warning likely to be extended into Monday.

Temperatures in Brighton are expected to hit 28C, with forecast models predicting that the mercury could reach 40C in other parts of the south-east this weekend.

The highest temperature recorded in the UK was in July 2019, when Cambridge Botanic Garden hit 38.7C.

Water companies have urged people not to waste water during the heatwave, with suppliers warning that higher demand could lead to people not having any water running through their taps.

A spokesman for Southern Water said: “We do not anticipate the need for temporary use bans across the whole of our region in the coming months.

“However, we may require extra measures where water is scarcer and the pressure on supply is greatest.

“We are working closely with local communities and partner agencies in these areas, to keep disruption to a minimum.”