East Anglia's heatwave warning level has been raised today with temperatures likely to hit 30C in some parts of the region.

The Met Office raised its warning to level three for the East of England, which means that there is a 90pc chance of heatwave conditions today and up until 9pm tomorrow.

A heatwave warning is issued when the average threshold temperature is 30C by day and 15C overnight.

NHS officials have warned that the high temperatures can be dangerous for the elderly, the very young and people with chronic or long-term medical conditions, such as a heart condition or breathing problems.

People have also been urged to avoid going outside during the hottest part of the day to avoid the risk of heatstroke.

The Met Office has put the whole of the East of England, South East England and London on a level three - the second highest warning level.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said the trust received almost 6,000 calls this weekend, compared with 5,881 the previous weekend.

Over this weekend, the ambulance service had three calls, which were coded as heat exhaustion, a spokesman said.

During the heatwave, NHS Choices has urged people to:

Avoid unnecessary travel.

Visit or phone people who are vulnerable, such as older people living on their own or people with health conditions.

Stay inside and in the coolest room in your home as much as possible and splash yourself with cool water.

Keep rooms cool by using shade or reflective material outside the glass, and if that's not possible, have light-coloured curtains and close them.

Keep the windows closed while the room is cooler than it is outside, and, if it's safe, open the windows at night when the air is cooler than the room.