BRIGHTON is set to swelter in record-breaking temperatures hotter than Hawaii this week.

According to the Met Office, the mercury is set to hit a scorching 33C - which would be the hottest temperature ever recorded in the city.

The heatwave means the city will be hotter than Honolulu in Hawaii, Malta, Ibiza, Kavos and Rio de Janeiro.

The highest recorded temperature in Brighton and Hove is currently 32.8C, recorded during another heatwave in June 1976.

Brighton and Hove City Council has urged people to stay safe in the hot weather, including taking water on trips outside in refillable water bottles, keeping out of the sun between 11am and 3pm - when UV rays are strongest, walking in the shade when heading outside.

A national emergency has been declared across England by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), with a Level 4 heat-health warning issued for the first time since the system was introduced in 2004.

Temperatures are expected to reach 40C in parts of the UK for the first time.

The UKHSA has warned that the heatwave could have impacts on transport systems, food, water, and energy supplies, and on businesses.

All of Sussex has also been issued with an amber weather warning for extreme heat by the Met Office, with Gatwick Airport set to reach 35C.

The Argus: Thousands of people gathered on Brighton beach yesterday and soaked up the sunshine in deckchairsThousands of people gathered on Brighton beach yesterday and soaked up the sunshine in deckchairs

A spokesman for the Met Office said: “The cumulative effects of very warm nights, particularly in urbanised areas, and hot days are likely to bring widespread impacts to people and infrastructure.”

Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Southern, Thameslink and Gatwick Express services, has urged commuters not to travel unless their journey is absolutely necessary.

Gatwick Express trains will not run, with Thameslink running a reduced service across all routes. Southern services are expected to run mostly as planned, but some routes could see some disruption.

Trains are expected to be delayed by speed restrictions, with cancellations expected and a high chance of incidents affecting trains that are still planned to run.

Southern Water has encouraged its customers to use water wisely to keep disruption to services to a minimum.

A spokeswoman for the company said: “When the weather hots up, we all use more water and we can see our daily demand jump by hundreds of millions of litres.

“Drier weather means less rainfall too and this year we have experienced long periods. The places that we extract water from to supply our customers, like groundwater, rivers and reservoirs, will be lower.

“We do not anticipate the need for temporary use bans across the whole of our region in the coming months. However, we may require extra measures in certain areas where water is scarcer and the pressure on supply is greatest.”