London: Britain on Wednesday recorded the hottest July day since 1911 when temperatures reached 36.3 degrees near London's Gatwick airport in the south-east of the country.
The new high broke the previous record for July heat, registered at 36 degrees at Epsom, in the southern county of Surrey, in 1911.
A number of primary schools in central London closed at lunchtime on Wednesday, instead of carrying on until late afternoon.
At Colchester Zoo, in southeast Britain, keepers were giving animals specially made ice blocks flavoured with blood or fruit to keep cool.
Parliament in London relaxed its strict dress code by allowing journalists to go about their reporting jobs in short-sleeves.
Around the country, gritting lorries took to the roads to spray crushed granite rock on to the tar, creating a seal to stop cars, cyclists and pedestrians from becoming stuck.
In the south-western port of Plymouth, pedestrians had to pull their shoes out of the toffee-like melting tar.
At a garden party hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday 39 guests were treated for heat exhaustion after fainting, the Sun newspaper reported.
Temperatures on trains of the London Underground (Tube) reached 47 degrees.
The rising mercury forced bookmakers William Hill to pull the plug on bets for the UK temperature to reach 38 degrees.
"We are already facing a payout of $182,000 or more if we hit 38 degree Celsius, after taking bets at odds as long as 20/1 at the start of the year," spokesman Graham Sharpe said.
One customer had bet 800 pounds at odds of 6/1 that it will happen and stood to collect 5,600 pounds.
"We have temporarily suspended the book in case the 38 degree barrier is breached during Wednesday without our knowledge," said Sharpe.
He said that, despite the heat, betting on a white Christmas had already begun, with William Hill offering 8/1 of snow falling on December 25 in London, Cardiff or Glasgow in Scotland.
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