Neighbourhoods in the Maldon district may be sheltered from the worst risks of soaring temperatures caused by climate change, new figures suggest.

As the Met Office says the first predicted 40C temperatures in the UK are a sign that the impact of climate change is here, Friends of the Earth say extreme heatwaves will become much more frequent as the climate crisis worsens.

Analysis by the campaign group shows that more than six million people across England will be vulnerable to extreme temperatures caused by global warming.

But no Maldon neighbourhoods are "at risk" of the worst impacts of rocketing temperatures in the coming years.

An "at risk" neighbourhood is an area that will experience extreme heat for more than five days every summer and has a vulnerable population, based on research from Manchester University – which looks at a variety of social and personal factors such as age, deprivation, housing characteristics and access to health services.

Hot weather places particular strain on the heart and lungs, and the Met Office warned that older people, young children and those with pre-existing health conditions are especially at risk.

Communities most vulnerable are generally those with an older population, a higher number of young children, without green spaces to shelter, and those with housing most susceptible to overheating, such as high rise buildings and mobile homes.