BRITISH workers will be struggling to combat the head amid a UK heatwave which has sparked a weather warning from the Met Office.

Temperatures are expected to soar this week – ahead of a further blast of hot weather over the weekend. The warm weather is expected to continue through the week in the high 20s for most until the weekend, when the mercury may rise again to 31 degrees in places.

Met Office weather warning

This means parts of the country will be hotter than some of the world’s top beach destinations, including the Maldives and Marbella in Spain.

A Level Three Heat Health Alert has been issued by the Met Office and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) from 9am on Monday to 9am on Friday in the east and south-east of England, with the rest of the nation having a level 2 alert in place.

The four-level system highlights the potential health impacts of these high temperatures.

Experts have warned that the UK needs to urgently adapt to a future with more heatwaves, adding that hot spells have a greater potential impact than other climate extremes such as flooding.

With temperatures soaring across the UK, when is it too hot to work? Here is all you need to know.

How hot does it have to be before you can leave work?

Under the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, Employers have alegal obligation to ensure that the temperature in the workplace is “reasonable”.

it is also down to employers to ensure that the air in the office is clean and fresh for their staff.

Despite the guidance under law, the government has not specified a specific temperature in the workplace which would mean employees are sent home.

While some people work outside and others in an office, it’s hard to specify a general temperature.

However in 2006 the Trades Union Congress (TUC) released a briefing that highlighted the temperatures that it believes should be maintained in different workplaces

It highlighted that 30 degrees should be the maximum temperature set by employers with that limit being reduced to 27 degrees for those doing strenuous work.

Can I leave work in a heatwave?

A maximum working temperature has yet to be legalised in the UK.

Ultimately it is up to the employer to decide whether the temperature in the workplace is suitable for workers.