UK sees hottest June day on record

The UK has experienced its hottest June day on record after temperatures soared to 36.1C (97F) in Gosport, Hampshire on Wednesday afternoon, the BBC reported.

Hundreds of schools shut across England and Wales and transport has also been disrupted, with train passengers advised to avoid all non-essential travel.

The heatwave is forecast to continue into Thursday and Friday, with a further high of about 38C possible, the BBC reported, citing the Met Office.

A red extreme heat warning issued by the Met Office across parts of south and central England and south Wales remains in place until 23:59 BST on Thursday.

The high for the day came between 15:00 and 16:00 BST - breaking the previous June record of 35.6C recorded in Southampton in 1976 and Camden in 1957.

This new record is described as "provisional" by the Met Office, which now has to conduct checks to ensure the measurement is reliable.

The other top temperatures of the day were recorded in southern England, while Wales had its hottest day of the year so far, with 33.3C at Cardiff Bute Park.

Parts of the UK are also set to experience "tropical nights", which occur when night-time temperatures stay above 20C.

The Met Office has warned that the weather could result in "population-wide adverse health effects", leading to serious illness or danger to life.