Kent is currently one of the hottest places in the country as temperatures soar to 33.6°C.
The Met Office has confirmed that it is the hottest day of the year so far as the heatwave peaks in the South East with temperatures forecasted to reach up to 35°C.
Frittenden, near Staplehurst, has recorded one of today’s highest temperatures of 33.6°C, closely followed by East Malling at 33.5°C.
Amateur weatherman Lester Gosbee explained: “We have our own microclimate in Frittenden. It is not the first time we have been top of the pops.
“It is probably because we are in a bit of a valley, and where it is recorded is around 35 metres above sea level. It is a pure temperature reading.
“No doubt the high temperatures will return soon. We are likely to have heatwaves twice a year now.”
People living across Kent are doing their best to deal with the heat, from taking over their dogs’ paddling pools to schools using hoses to cool pupils down at lunchtime.
The Strand, in Gillingham, is also fully booked, with visitors being seen queuing while they waited for the doors to open for the afternoon session.
It has asked people to bring their hats and sun cream and to be kind to staff who have to stand at the open-air lido in the heat.
Dover District Council has said its contractor, Veolia, will be starting its waste and recycling collections at 6am for the rest of the week due to the increase in temperatures, “to make the most of the cooler part of the day”.
A spokesperson added: “Please make sure your bins are out early if these are your normal collection days. We thank householders in advance for their understanding.”
Firefighters have also been called to a grass blaze at around 1.20pm between junction 3 and junction 2 of the M25, between Swanley and Dartford.
Three fire engines attended, and crews used hose reel jets to extinguish the fire, which was out just before 2pm.
They were also called to a fire in East Blean Woods in Hoath, near Canterbury, at around 1.30pm.
Three fire engines and a wildfire ATV attended, with crews using a fire fogging unit to extinguish the flames.
There were no reported injuries in either incident, and the causes are unknown.
Elsewhere in the country, temperatures also continue to soar, with Writtle, in Essex, documenting highs of 33.9°C.
Yesterday (June 30) also brought the hottest start on record to Wimbledon as temperatures reached 33.1°C in Heathrow.
An amber heat-health alert covering the South East, London, the East Midlands, the South West, and the East of England was put in force on Friday (June 27), lasting until 6pm tonight (July 1).
However, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has now extended the warnings for most of the country into tomorrow morning (July 2).
This is the second heatwave to hit the UK within the last month, with England documenting its warmest June on record, according to provisional Met Office statistics.
The east and southeast of England, especially, saw the most pronounced warmth, with East Anglia’s mean temperature 3°C above its long-term meteorological average for June.
It follows a record-breaking spring, which was officially the hottest and sunniest for the UK.
Scientists warned that the searing temperatures earlier in June were made 100 times more likely because of human-caused climate change, while the heatwave that gripped south-east England was 10 times likelier.
As July kicks off, forecasters said temperatures in the mid-30s are still relatively uncommon for the month in the UK, although they are becoming increasingly frequent with climate change.
Conservationists and green experts have also warned of the wildfire risk as well as the impact on farmers, who face another poor harvest following one of the driest springs on record.
Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said: “We got to 33.1°C yesterday at Heathrow, and we are expecting to be just a touch beyond that in London today, possibly getting up to around 35°C in London in particular.
“It is a continuation of recent days in the South East in particular, with those temperatures well beyond average for the time of year, in a fairly notable heatwave.”
However, today will also bring the start of a transition towards more average temperatures, as a cooler, wetter front over Scotland and the north of England gradually moves south-eastwards.
Mr Dixon added: “Tomorrow will be feeling fresher for many, with temperatures more likely to kind of get into the mid-20s, and some showery rain, particularly in some eastern coasts, through the day tomorrow as well.”
Forecasters say conditions will stay relatively dry throughout the week in the South, but the weekend is currently looking more unsettled, with frequent showers, particularly in western areas.
