Sweltering temperatures are set for Essex this week with some parts of the UK expected to get a heatwave.

Forecasters are predicting temperatures in the high 20s for many areas of Essex for the next four days.

Today it is expected to get up to 27C in the north of the county, while temperatures of 26C are set for the south.

And there won't be much let up overnight with it expected to still be around 21C in Colchester at 11pm and not get lower than 18C in the early hours.

On Tuesday temperatures are expected to be around 28C with highs of 31C in Southend at around 3pm.

Wednesday and Thursday will see 30C reached in Colchester and Southend.

By Friday things will have started to cool off with temperatures closer to 24C across the county.

Speaking last week chief meteorologist, at the Met Office, Andy Page said: “As we head into next week temperatures will increase daily across much of England and Wales as hot air is drawn up from France and Spain.

"Temperatures could reach 34°C by Wednesday in parts of central, southern or eastern areas and heatwave thresholds are likely to be reached in some places.”

Elsewhere across Europe temperatures are set to soar with Paris facing highs of 41C on Thursday.

The Met Office said a period of hot weather can often happen at this time of year as low pressure to the west of the UK can bring hot continental air northwards into the south and east of the UK.