Hottest day on the longest day
Solstice a 34.5C sizzler Storms hit north
THE longest day of the year also turned out to be the hottest yesterday.
An estimated 13,000 people gathered at Stonehenge to celebrate sunrise on the warmest summer solstice on record.
With the mercury hitting 34.5C at Heathrow, it was also the hottest June day for 41 years – narrowly failing to top the 1976 record of 35.6C.
And as temperatures passed 30C for a fifth consecutive day it became the hottest prolonged spell in June since that year.
The Met Office issued an amber warning as roads melted, trains were cancelled and schools forced to close by the extreme heat.
And at Royal Ascot, where temperatures hit 33C, the dress code was relaxed to allow racegoers remove jackets. Stars at the meeting included ex-boxer Chris Eubank, 50, and Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson, 25, who wore a stunning white lace dress.
But the hot weather brought tragedy when Spencer Hurst, 15, drowned as he swam in a lake. The talented boxer got into difficulties in Pelsall, West Mids. Sister Hollie, 17, said: “We are all just in shock.”
And there was a scare when a huge chunk of chalk cliff plunged into the sea at Seaford, East Sussex. Emergency services launched a major search but nobody was hurt.
Meanwhile, bungling bus and train companies left heating on for some services. Trains were axed over fears lines could melt and Network Rail imposed speed restrictions in case of buckling rails.
Donkey rides at Coney Beach in Porthcawl, South Wales, were halted for the first time in 100 years because it was too hot for the animals.
But the heatwave ended in dramatic fashion in some areas as thunderstorms and torrential downpours broke out. Commuters in Newcastle and other northern cities braved heavy rain on their way to work.
Temperatures will return to normal over the next few days and cities including London, Bristol and Birmingham will be up to 10C cooler than yesterday. But further thunderstorms are forecast in the south today, sparking fears of flash-flooding.
Steve Willington of the Met Office, said: “A cold front that will pass through the UK will mark an end to the hot spell and bring cloudier skies and lower temperatures.”