Swathes of the British countryside could be at risk from wildfires as the country continues to swelter in its longest heatwave for seven years.
Soon-to-be-harvested crops such as wheat and winter barley are thought to be among the most vulnerable.
Six days of 30C-plus temperatures and a lack of rainfall have led to an "elevated risk" of fires, a spokesman for the Met Office said.
The warning echoes that issued by firefighters in London, who have dealt with twice as many grass fires this summer than in 2012.
A blaze at Mitcham Common, which destroyed an area of grass and gorse equivalent in size to four football pitches, was one of around 40 wildfires extinguished by crews in just 24 hours.
Temperatures in Hampton, around 12 miles away, soared to 32.2C on Wednesday - the highest temperature recorded in the UK this year.
Dave Brown, head of operations, prevention and response at London Fire Brigade, urged smokers to be especially careful when disposing of their cigarettes.
"A small spark from a cigarette is often all it takes to start a grass fire in these dry conditions," he said.
"Drivers also need to take care not to throw cigarettes out of car windows as they can easily burn grass verges.
"If you see a grass fire, don't attempt to put it out yourself as grass fires can be fast moving and change direction without warning. Call the fire brigade and let us know where the fire is."
Temperatures are expected to remain in the mid to high-20Cs for many parts of England and Wales well into next week.
The prolonged hot spell prompted the Met Office to issue level three heatwave health warnings for southwest and southeast England, London and the West Midlands.
Health officials urged people to drink plenty of cold water and keep an eye on vulnerable people, including the elderly and the very young.
It comes after a four-week-old baby was among 10 children admitted to the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex, with sunburn.
Meanwhile, police officers and firefighters warned about the dangers of attempting to escape the heat by swimming in open water after a number of deaths in recent weeks.
Four people died in separate incidents on Tuesday in the sea, rivers and lakes in Norfolk, the Shropshire-north Wales border and Cornwall.
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