Parts of Norfolk are set to experience some of the hottest temperatures in the country in the early part of the coming week.

A balmy weekend is being enjoyed by Britons as southern Europe's heatwave swelters on.

But temperatures could soar even higher, with highs of 33C (89.6F) possible on Tuesday.

And north Norfolk is predicted to experience the hottest of the UK's conditions.

England and Wales are to stay generally dry and warmer, with the exception of possible thunderstorms across the south east on Tuesday.

Temperatures will need to climb significantly if they are to come close to England's current August record - 38.5C (101.3F) reached in Faversham, Kent, in 2003.

However, the intense heat is likely to lessen come Wednesday.

Forecaster Dean Hall said there will be 'quite a marked change to the feel of things' from the middle of the week as conditions turn 'fresher and more changeable'.

It is likely to stay cooler throughout next weekend, he said, with 'no real sign of any return of the heat that we have been seeing over the recent days'.

It comes amid a sweltering European heatwave, with holidaymakers in Portugal and Spain feeling the sun most intensely.

The mercury is being driven higher by a hot air mass moving north from Africa, bringing dust from the Sahara Desert.

British holiday-makers abroad are being warned to avoid spending time in the sun during the hottest part of the day and to keep hydrated.

Earlier this week local records were smashed in eight areas of Portugal.

Red health alerts for extreme heat have been issued for more than half the country, with thermometers passing 46C (114.8F) on Saturday.

The hot, dry conditions have led to several Portuguese wildfires.

Nearly 700 firefighters and 10 water-dumping aircraft were fighting the biggest outbreak, which has burned 1,000 hectares (2,470 acres) near the town of Monchique in the southern Algarve region.

In Spain, heat warnings have been issued for 41 of the country's 50 provinces, with the top temperature of 46.6C (115.8F) reached at El Granado.

The stifling conditions played a part in the deaths of two men, one in Barcelona and the other in the southern Spanish region of Murcia, according to Spanish authorities.