A wave of thunderstorms is forecast to arrive, which are expected to help bring down temperatures, although they could also cause problems of a different nature.

The health ministry’s alert system has three levels in addition to level zero, green, meaning there is no alert.

Level one, yellow, is pre-alert, while level two, orange, means the temperatures and weather conditions can pose health risks, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and the ill.

Level three, red, means the heat poses a risk to the health of the general population, not just vulnerable groups.

Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.

Although there are many sources of the greenhouse gases that are causing global heating, the main driver is the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, sales of which generate huge profits for the world’s energy giants.