Andrew Humphrey
Live reporter

Well today hasn't quite surpassed the hottest temperature of 2023, which was 32.2°C in June, but the 31.6C in Northolt, London has come close.

We've seen people sunbathing, swimming and also heard about the precautions needed during an amber weather warning.

You can get the forecast for the next few days from Matt Taylor by watching the video above.

You can also find your local forecast from BBC Weather here.

This page has been brought to you by Andrew Humphrey, James Harness, Malu Cursino, Thomas Mackintosh, Gem O'Reilly and Ali Abbas Ahmadi.

Keep safe and keep cool.

Image source, PA Media

Pelham Wilson has been visiting the same swimming pool in Cambridge for 50 years, but today, being one of the hottest days of the year, feels special.

Jesus Green Lido, which sits between the River Cam and trees is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Today temperatures neared 30C (86F)

Anna Jackson, a garden designer, tells PA that the lido is "magical".

"I've been coming here since I was about six, and it's heaven, absolute heaven.

"It's right in the centre of Cambridge, it's a complete jewel, I feel like I've taken a holiday for a couple of days in a couple of hours.

"Just the clear blue with the sun shining on it - everyone sounds happy."

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Pelham explains that at one stage authorities were thinking of splitting the pool in two and having a heated pool and a non-heated pool.

"I think that would have been a mistake - it's a pretty unique atmosphere here."

Areas of the south of England have been reporting the highest temperatures today, and the latest figures from BBC Weather show a high of 31.6C at Northolt in London.

Other parts of the capital topped 31C, with Kew Gardens reaching 31.2C.

As temperatures today have topped 30C many of us may be finding it difficult to keep cool.

And during the evening it can often be hard to sleep, so we've come up with some tips to help you.

1. Let the air in- Open windows on opposite sides of the house to encourage air flow - releasing trapped warm air and allowing cooler air in. However it's important to do this when the air temperature outside is cooler than inside
2. Limit hot activities- Ovens and cookers emit a lot of heat into the home during and after usage, try and avoid using these along with other electrical appliances
3. Keep warmer air out- During the day when the air is hotter outside try and keep it out, especially on the side of your home where the sun is shining
4. Cool yourself down- Cold showers (but not too cold), putting an ice pack or cold-water bottle on your body can achieve an instant feeling of relief
5. Use a fan- Putting the fan in front of an open window can encourage the fresh air from outside to be blown throughout the room - if it is cooler outside

James Gallagher
Health and science correspondent

Old age or some long-term conditions, such as heart disease, can leave people less able to cope with the strain heat puts on the body.

Diabetes can make the body lose water more quickly and some complications of the disease can alter blood vessels and the ability to sweat.

Children and those who are less mobile may also be more vulnerable. Brain diseases, such as dementia, can also leave people unaware of the heat or unable to do anything about it.

People who are homeless will also be more exposed to the sun. Those living in top-floor flats will also face higher temperatures.

If you'd like to see what parts of the UK look like in this sweltering heat then take a look at our live video stream.

We're bringing you pictures from Salford, Cornwall, Glasgow and London.

Simply press the Play icon at the top of this page.

After a July that was one of the wettest on record, we hear from BBC correspondent Joe Inwood at Brockwell lido in London about how people are enjoying the heat.

He explains, despite the amber heat-health weather warning, "this is a chance for people to enjoy themselves. Hundreds of people have come to enjoy summer sun."

We've been reporting that the rest of this week promises to be sweltering. So why is it so hot now?

The heat is caused by an active tropical cyclone season in the northern Atlantic Ocean, which has pushed the jet stream north of the UK, according to Monday’s Met Office report, external, allowing very warm air to be drawn towards the country.

July and August were quite rainy, but this summer was still one of the UK’s ten warmest on record.

This week could see the highest temperature of the year, beating the 32.2°C that was recorded in June.

Our colleagues in BBC Weather have colleced the highest temperatures so far today.

There's still a chance we could see somewhere hotter, but these are current top ones:

31.3C Charlwood, Surrey

30.9C Kew Gardens, London

30.7C St James's Park, London

30.7C Heathrow, London

30.6C Frittenden, Kent

30.5C Wiggonholt, West Sussex

Image source, BBC Weather Watchers: Beach Seeker

Now lets turn from airports to waterways.

Some have turned bright green as the high temperatures cause duckweed to multiply rapidly.

A canal resembling pea soup may not appeal to everyone, but the wildlife seems undeterred.

Take a look below.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

One area to look out for as the heat rises - is Heathrow in west London.

It is a location which commonly records record-breaking temperatures, but it comes with some caveats.

Heathrow airport - with its large black asphalt runways and buildings - naturally absorbs more heat.

The airport is also very built-up, and so the urban heat island also affects surrounding areas.

Previously, some have suggested heat emitted from the airport's runway skews temperatures.

But, readings in the UK are taken from standardised weather stations, which have to meet specific criteria and are maintained and inspected by specialist teams.

If you compare Heathrow to a nearby weather station in Kew - which is eight miles away - usually there is hardly any temperature difference between the two.

You can read more about why Heathrow gets so hot here.

Image source, .

If you'd like to see BBC Weather's detailed forecast for your area click here.

Matt Taylor
BBC Weather

It's not just the heat we have to cope with in a heatwave. The quality of our air can also be affected.

According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), air quality will deteriorate for many during the second half of the week.

Under areas of high pressure pollutants get trapped and build up. Sunshine, heat and gentle winds exacerbates the problem.

South-easterly winds also help to bring in polluted air from industrial parts of northwest Europe.

The worst conditions look to be on Friday, external and Saturday, external, before improving later in the weekend as the breakdown of the mainly hot and dry weather begins across the northwest of the UK.

Image source, PA

As we've been reporting, this heat is set to stick around until the weekend for large parts of the UK, and Saturday could see the highest temperatures, the Met Office says.

They are forecasting a maximimum of 33C in London, which would beat the highest temperature of 2023 so far (32.2C, set in June).

Northern parts of the UK could begin to see temperatures dropping as the weekend progresses, before a return to more seasonable norms across the next week.

Some areas could also see some thundery showers over the weekend, so an umbrella for shade and showers might be a good idea.

If you'd like to see what other parts of the UK look like in this sweltering heat then take a look at our live video stream.

We've already seen views of Salford, Cornwall, Glasgow and aerial shots of London.

Simply press the Play icon at the top of this page,

While it's largely warm and dry in the UK, flooding caused by heavy rain has led to at least 10 deaths in Bulgaria, Turkey and Greece.

It's not just maximum temperatures that are high.

High minimum temperatures - that is, the coolest it gets on a hot day - can be even more dangerous.

Temperatures drop to their lowest at night. But hot nights place an especially heavy burden on your body when you’re meant to be recuperating from the day, preventing it from cooling down.

The records for minimum temperature across the UK are as follows:

• UK and England: 21.7C, 5 September 1949 at St James's Park in London
• Wales: 20.5C on 8 September 2021 at Aberporth in Ceredigion
• Scotland: 18.7C on 29 September 2011 at Achnagart in Ross & Cromarty
• Northern Ireland: 18.3C on 5 September 1999 at Ravenhill Road in County Down

Image source, .

As we've been reporting, the UK could have its hottest day of the year.

Yesterday, the ECMWF Copernicus Climate Change Service published data that showed summer 2023 had been the hottest on record, external.

And earlier today, citing data from the report, the World Meteorological Organization said, external: "Earth had the hottest three-month period on record, with unprecedented sea surface temperatures and extreme weather."

If you'd like to learn more about how to stay cool without warming the planet, check out this BBC Ideas explainer., external

Image source, Copernicus

From our colleagues at BBC Weather, here are the highest temperatures recorded so far today.

In general, temperatures peak in the afternoon - so the 2023 record of 32.2C could be surpassed this afternoon.

• 27.8C at Langdon Bay in Kent
• 27.3C at Frittenden in Kent
• 27.2C at Writtle in Essex
• 27.1C at Kew Gardens, London

Image source, PA Media