MELTING BRITAIN
UK weather – Britain’s roads MELT on 33.3C hottest day of the year so far… and it’s forecast to get HOTTER
Roads melted in Godalming, Surrey today as temperatures soared to record highs of 33.3C
BRITAIN'S roads turned to molten tarmac on the hottest day of the year today as the summer scorcher reached sweltering new heights.
Sun-seekers ignored the Met Office's amber heatwave alert to bake in the sunshine — despite intense heat that melted a lane near Godalming, Surrey.
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Tyre tracks were embedded into the softened road as temperatures soared to a record-breaking 33.3C in Santon Downham, Suffolk.
Earlier in the day Brits were told to stay out of the blazing sun until Friday as a blast of hot air dubbed the "Mediterranean melt" moved in.
The country is now on a level three warning from the Met Office - one step below the most severe, at which point it is expected that fit and healthy people will begin to experience health issues.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 35C this week as the scorching conditions creep even higher.
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UK weather forecast for the week ahead will be dry and sunny with an increasing risk of storms
And today's temperature of 33.3C has beat this year's record of 33C reached at Porthmadog in North Wales on June 28.
Britain's hottest ever day on record is 38.5 degrees recorded at Faversham, in Kent, in August 2003.
Forecaster Craig Snell said: “We are fairly certain the UK could see the hottest spell this year despite this heatwave having held its grip since June.
“More warm air will move into from the continent by the end of the week making it highly likely we will at least have the hottest day this year.
“It won’t be wall-to-wall sunshine and there is some chance of thunderstorms and showers on Wednesday, but these will be sporadic.
“The end of the week looks set to be the warmest we’ve had this year with the heat showing no sign of letting up just yet.”
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Summer heatwave 2018: Brits are cooling off in record breaking temperatures at Brighton beach
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A horror photo shared online showed a poor pup with badly blistered pads as pavements reach temperatures in excess of 60C.
London, Kent and East Anglia will feel the burn most severely, with a peak in temperature predicted for Wednesday and Thursday.
The northwestern regions will feel fresher, with temperatures in the low to mid 20s.
Scotland could experience highs of up to 25C, Wales could jump to 26C and Northern Ireland to 24C.
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Government agencies are urging people to stay safe in the sun.
A sunburn warning was issued by Public Health England after 220 people were treated in hospital for overexposure over the past two months.
It urged for “common sense” in the continuing heat, advising people to wear sun cream and clothing that covers the skin, and to limit the amount of time spent in the sun each day.
In its official guidance, the Met Office said people should "stay out of the sun" until Friday.
It added: "Keep your home as cool as possible – shading windows and shutting them during the day may help. Open them when it is cooler at night. Keep drinking fluids."
Fire services across the country have told the public to keep mirrors and glass objects away from direct sunlight because of the fire risk they pose.
The items may reflect or magnify the sun’s rays on to flammable items such as curtains, which could cause them to burst into flames.
Pet owners are advised to only walk their dogs at night or early in the morning to avoid the risk of heat stroke and burned paws.
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Swimmers are being warned to wear wetsuits if they want to take a dip, to avoid being stung by swarms of giant jellyfish that have been spotted off the coast of Folkestone, in Kent.
Chris Lightwing, the logistics manager at Folkestone Rescue, a charity which helps to keep beaches safe, said the jellyfish could 'give a nasty sting' to people enjoying the warm weather.
Richard Greaves, 34, of Ashford, Kent, said he was stung after going for dip at Sunny Sands Beach in Folkestone last week.
He said: "I was swimming about 40ft out and was suddenly surrounded by loads of jellyfish - they looked huge.
"I was stupid and tried to dive under them and ended up getting stung across my back and legs by their tentacles."
He said he was helped out of the sea by onlookers, adding: "I was in agony for an hour or two, but eventually the pain subsided."
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Meanwhile United Utilities, which supplies Cumbria, Manchester and Liverpool, have submitted drought applications to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the first time since 2010.
United proposes to extract water from Ullswater, Windermere and Ennerdale Water.
Last week United announced a hosepipe ban for the northwest, which will come into effect on August 5 and will affect seven million people across the region.
It is the first hosepipe ban in England since 2012 amid the lowest summer rainfall so far since 1961.
Just 25.6mm of rain has fallen across England and Wales since June 1. Many parts of the South and the Midlands have had virtually none for almost two months.
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The driest summer since records began in 1910 is currently 1995, where 71.7mm of rain fell from June 1 to August 31.
Brooms Barn in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, has not seen a drop in 45 days.
Britain will continue to bask in the sizzling sunshine - a boost for those about to begin their summer holidays.
Met Office meteorologist Alex Burkill said: "It always seems that when the schools break up that is when we get the bad weather, but in this instance that is not the case."
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Hot weather sees tar on road in Cumbria melt to form sludge of black treacle as temperatures soar in record breaking heatwave
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