Wildfires broke out across southern England today as Britain experienced its hottest day on record with temperatures soaring past 40C (104F) amid growing rail travel chaos as schools shut again in the extreme heat.
Firefighters have described blazes tearing through homes and buildings in London as 'absolute hell' - with residents evacuated after at last five houses were destroyed, two people taken to hospital for smoke inhalation and a major incident declared.
Elsewhere in the country hundreds of fire crews are out battling raging infernos in Wales, Scotland and the rest of England as 'tinderbox' dry conditions in the UK caused wildfires to threaten homes, animals and people and fire services declared 'major incidents' as they were hit with thousands of calls.
At least 34 parts of the country broke the UK's previous national record of 38.7C today, the Met Office said with the new national record set by Coningsby, Lincolnshire which hit an unprecedented 40.3C (104.54) while London Heathrow also saw highs of 40.2C (104.4F).
Scotland also recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C (94.64) at Charterhall and Wales might beat its new record set yesteray of 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire.
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