A temperature of more than 40C (104F) was provisionally recorded today for the first time in Britain, the Met Office said.
The Met Office said the temperature of 40.2C was recorded at London Heathrow at 11.50am.
British train companies cancelled services and some schools closed, while officials urged the public to stay at home and the government triggered a "national emergency" alert.
Flights were suspended at Luton airport after staff identified a "runway defect". The hot weather had melted the runway at the Royal Air Force's Brize Norton air base.
Sales of electric fans, hoses, air conditioning units and sprinklers are soaring, retailers said.
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