Belgium's Royal Meteorological Institute has issued a yellow heat warning across the country through Thursday, with temperatures expected to reach 31C this weekend. The UK Health Security Agency has activated yellow heat health alerts for several regions from Saturday morning through Tuesday evening, while the Met Office warns temperatures could hit 36C in parts of East Anglia and south-east England by Thursday.
The heatwave follows a devastating period for Britain, where July was the driest since records began in 1836 and two earlier heatwaves in May and June caused more than 2,800 excess deaths. Germany's Deutscher Wetterdienst forecasts temperatures reaching 36C along the Rhine on Sunday, with widespread 35C expected in the southwest by Wednesday.
Belgian coastal areas will see slightly cooler conditions, with maxima around 26-27C at the coast compared to 29-31C inland, before a temporary cooling trend arrives Tuesday.