Warnings as UK continues to sizzle

Sun worshippers in the UK have sizzled in the hottest temperature of the year so far, with a scorching 33.3C recorded in England.

The record breaking heat comes as people are being urged to either stay out of the sun or at least avoid being in the sun when it is at its strongest between 11am and 3pm.

The 33.3C high was recorded at Santon Downham in Suffolk, the Met Office said – and it is set to get hotter, with temperatures expected to peak on Thursday or Friday.

The heatwave is to continue across much of the country this week, with many areas expected to bask in the high 20s, with others reaching 32C to 34C.

Meanwhile, the Met Office said several places have had 54 consecutive dry days (starting May30),includingafewwhich have had less than 1mm of rain in the entire 54-day period – the longest spell since 1969, when 70 days passed with no significant rainfall.

A spokesman said: “It’s the driest first half of the summer since 1961.”

He added: “For the UK as a whole, we’ve only seen about 20 per cent of the rainfall we’d normally expect throughout the whole summer.”

Nearly all parts of the UK are seeing above average temperatures, but the hottest temperatures will be towards the east or south east. During the current heatwave, UK temperatures have been approximately 10C higher than average.