Country enjoys hottest July day on record

The Met Office said a temperature of 36.7C (98F) had been reached at Heathrow - breaking the previous record set in 2006.

It has also issued a level “heatwave” alert across England which is in place until 9am tomorrow (Thursday).

Prof Paul Cosford, director for health protection and medical director at Public Health England (PHE) said: “While hot weather is enjoyable for most people and uncomfortable for some, sadly experience tells us that exposure to excessive heat can kill, with most cases of illness and death caused by heart and lung disease.

“Because we are not used to these very hot temperatures in England, it’s important that local plans are in place to reduce the impact of harm from very hot weather.”