UK heatwave: Temperatures hit 34C on the hottest day of the year so far
Heathrow weather station recorded the highest temperatures of Saturday, as the nation headed out to enjoy the sunshine.
Sunday 30 June 2019 04:56, UK
The Met Office has confirmed that Saturday was the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures hitting 34C in the capital.
Official readings of 34C were taken at Heathrow and other locations in west London around 5pm on Saturday.
The June record of 35.6C was set in 1976. Britain's high temperatures even surpassed those of Rio, Miami and Cuba.
But the weather patterns that have caused hot air to be drawn up from the South are changing, as thundery showers cross the country introducing cooler fresher conditions for the coming days.
On Sunday, temperatures will reach a high of 25C (77F) in the sunnier spots, but values in the North and West will be close or a little below normal.
Friday was the previous hottest day of the year, with the temperature peaking at 30C in Achnagart in the Scottish Highlands.
The areas of the UK that have seen the most of the heat were the south east, the Midlands and Humberside.
The UK's biggest music festival, Glastonbury, has been treated to sunny and dry conditions with the mercury reaching 31C on Worthy Farm - just .2C off the festival's record.
Tesco has said sales of barbecue food has rocketed during the hot weather, and has predicted it will sell more than one million packs of sausages, 650,000 packs of burgers and around 50,000 disposable barbecues over the weekend.
The weather did not come without problems though, with the M5 being closed in both directions in Somerset because of problems with overhead power cables - bringing misery to those flocking to the seaside.
NHS England and other emergency services issued warnings to the public to take care in the heat.
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Ruth May, chief nursing officer for England, said: "Like lots of people I'm looking forward to having fun in the sun with family and friends this weekend, but nobody wants to spend a pleasant day stuck in a hospital or urgent treatment centre.
"So, whether you're going to be out in the garden like me or heading off to Glastonbury, it's really important to take simple precautions like drinking plenty of water, using high-factor sunscreen and remembering to take allergy medication if you need it - as is making sure to check in on neighbours and loved ones who can suffer the most from heat and pollen."
According to the NHS, almost 3,000 people were admitted to hospital last year because of heat related problems, including 632 with severe sunburn, 100 cases of heat exhaustion and 223 cases of sun and heat stroke.
In the south west, the bodies of three men were pulled from the sea on Thursday and Friday.
Two more were discovered near Torquay on Thursday, and another in Prussia Cove in Cornwall on the same day.
These followed the death of Shukri Yahya Adbi - a 12-year-old girl who drowned in the River Irwell in Bury on Thursday.
Countries in Europe have also been enjoying the hot weather, including France which hit an all time record of 44.3C on Friday.
Firefighters in France have been battling wildfires because of the hot weather.