UK weather - live updates: Hottest day of the year recorded as heatwave sees Heathrow hit 35C

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UK weather: The latest Met Office forecast

As the UK heatwave continues, many are starting to find the extreme weather all a bit much.

Commuters are growing weary of sweating in their cars or being pressed into packed carriages on London's Tube, gardeners fear for their wilting plants while stocks of sun tan lotion, ice cream and cold drinks can only hold out so long.

In what has been an extraordinary period for the British Isles, a hosepipe ban has come into affect in northern areas, historic foundations have reappeared in parched fields and the country has turned from green to brown on satellite maps.

Here's the latest on the situation.

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[26 July 2018 14:43 · Joe Sommerlad]

We have a new record!

The Met Office is now reporting temperatures of 34.4C at Heathrow in west London.

[26 July 2018 14:56 · Joe Sommerlad]

[26 July 2018 15:28 · Joe Sommerlad]

The Independent's Science Correspondent Josh Gabbatis is here to explain the heatwave in full for your viewing pleasure:

[26 July 2018 15:47 · Joe Sommerlad]

Yeesh. We're now up to 35C at Heathrow and forecasters are suggesting we could see 37C on Friday, potentially triggering a mid-afternoon thunderstorm.

Stay cool out there.

[26 July 2018 16:16 · Joe Sommerlad]

[26 July 2018 17:46 · Adam Withnall]

A brief update of how the weather is taking its toll across the country: 

- The heatwave is said to be causing "winter conditions" in parts of the NHS

- Passengers on Eurotunnel endured five-hour delays with no air conditioning

- The Royal College of Nursing said high temperatures were leaving nurses dizzy and exhausted

- 56 fires have raged on grass verges next to England's motorways

- A high pollution alert was issued for London

- Fire brigades are calling for a ban on BBQs in parks

[26 July 2018 20:04 · Adam Withnall]

Here are some of the key temperatures that could be matched or surpassed before the weekend:

33.3C: highest temperature recorded so far this year, on July 23 at Santon Downham in Suffolk

34.5C: highest recorded last year, on June 21 at Heathrow airport

35.6C: highest recorded in 1976, on June 28 in Southampton

36.7C: highest July temperature on record, set on July 1 2015 at Heathrow airport

38.5C: highest temperature ever recorded in the UK, set on August 10 2003 at Faversham in Kent

[26 July 2018 20:30 · Adam Withnall]

A warning from the Met Office.

[26 July 2018 21:19 · Adam Withnall]

Rush-hour commuters on the London Underground sweltered in temperatures above the legal limit for transporting livestock on Thursday, the hottest day of the year so far.

Temperatures reached 35.7C (96.26F) on the Central Line, while the Bakerloo, Victoria and Jubilee all were several degrees above the 30C (86F) maximum for transporting cattle, sheep and pigs, the Press Association found.

Sweat-soaked passengers fanned themselves and gulped down water as the humidity in some carriages rose above 60%.

However commuters on the air-conditioned Circle Line enjoyed more tolerable temperatures of 29.4C (84.92F).

It comes after commuters battling "unacceptable" conditions were told they must wait more than a decade before air-conditioned trains arrive on some of the capital's busiest routes.