A yellow heat health alert has been put in place for Hertfordshire, with temperatures set to soar next week.

The notification, which covers all but one region of the country, comes as result of the forecast mini-heatwave, with temperatures set to be in the mid-20s.

The alert, issued jointly by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and the Met Office, comes into force from Monday morning and remains in place until late Thursday afternoon.

The warning states that there is "potential for significant impacts to be observed across the health and social care sector due to the high temperatures".

These include an "observed increase in mortality across the population likely, particularly in the 65+ age group or those with health conditions, but impacts may also be seen in younger age groups".

Met Office operational meteorologist Honor Criswick said: "As we're pushing into next week, we're starting to see the hotter spells, but it is going to be quite brief."

Dan Rudman, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, added: "Whether or not everyone experiences heatwave thresholds, the majority of the UK will experience the highest temperatures so far this year.

"Confidence in the forecast reduces markedly from Wednesday onwards, with uncertainty in both how long the heat will last and how it will break down, which we will be keeping an eye on for the coming days.

"However, by next weekend, cooler, changeable conditions become more likely."

The hot weather comes after a rainy spring, which saw 32 per cent more rainfall than the average in England and Wales.