- .Temperatures could hit 35C on Tuesday or Wednesday next week which would be the highest since 2006
- .Tarmac road melts in Cambridge after prolonged spell of hot weather
- .Seven schoolpupils taken to hospital with heatstroke after school bus is stuck on M25
- .David Cameron watches the second Ashes test in the sunshine at Lords
- .Sainsburys expect to sell 150,000 bottles of suncream this weekend as heatwave continues
- .Send us your photographs of the British weather to mailonlinepictures@dailymail.co.uk
By ROB COOPER
Eight fire crews and around 60 firefighters are tackling a huge grass fire in east London this afternoon as the country enjoys another scorching day.
The blaze, near Epping Forest, covers an area of around 200 square metres and comes as days of unbroken sunshine have turned the British countryside into a tinderbox.
Crews were also dealing with a second smaller fire in Leytonstone. In total, they have been tackling a record 21 blazes a day after the prolonged spell of dry weather.
Tinderbox Britain: A 200 square metre area was alight in Epping Forest, east London, this afternoon as the capital was hit by another large blaze
East London burning: Around 60 firefighters had been called in to tackle the huge fire in Epping Forest this afternoon
London's burning: Around 60 firefighters have been tackling the blaze in east London this afternoon
In London alone, firefighters have already tackled 1,000 grass blazes this summer - many sparked by glass bottles left by picnickers or discarded cigarettes.
The London Fire Brigade said a fire broke out at Wanstead Flats this afternoon, just south of scenic Epping Forest, which was the size of nine football pitches.
A further eight fire engines and 60 firefighters were dealing with a separate fire a short distance away at Hollow Pond. There were no reports of any casualties.
A spokesman said: 'We were called to reports of a grass fire with trees and shrubbery on fire in the Epping Forest area at 1.55pm this afternoon. We sent three crews consisting of 15 firefighters.
'We were also called to another fire on Whipps Cross Road in Leytonstone. We also sent three crew with 15 firefighters to the scene of this incident.
'This fire covered an area of two hectares with grass and shrubbery. Both of these fires were reported by several members of the public.'
Huge blaze: Firefighters deal with a large fire near Epping Forest this afternoon. Crews have been tackling a record 21 blazes a day after the prolonged spell of dry weather
Smoke: The air is filled with thick smoke near Epping Forest this afternoon as a large fire breaks out in east London
Flames: The London skyline can be seen in the distance as smoke rises on the grassy area to the east of the capital
Big blaze: A firefighter attempts to put out the flames as the prolonged spell of hot weather has brought a surge in grass fires
Blaze: The fire is believed to be covering an area of around 200 square metres and firefighters have been battling to bring it under control
Weather blaze: A firefighter puts out a bush fire on Mitcham Common in south London yesterday as the risk of grass fires rises in the hot weather
Wildfire fears: Smoke rises from shrubs and trees on Mitcham Common in south London yesterday after a fire. There are now fears of further blazes
Charred earth: Smoke rises from Mitcham Common yesterday amid fears of further fires. In London alone, firefighters have already tackled 1,000 grass blazes this summer
Chillax Dave: David Cameron watches day two of the second Ashes test from the stands today at the start of his summer holiday
London Fire Brigade said they are dealing with the worst grass fires since 2006, as temperatures peaked at 29C today. There were 37 grass fires in 24 hour period, ending yesterday afternoon.
London Fire Brigade's Head of Operations, Prevention and Response, Dave Brown said: 'We're attending the highest number of grass fires since 2006 but we are more than able to cope with every incident in London.
'Grass fires can cause a great deal of damage to open spaces and wildlife, and can be avoided by making sure that cigarettes and barbecues are extinguished properly, and that glass bottles are disposed of carefully.'
The blaze started after a fire the size of three football pitches on Mitcham Common yesterday afternoon.
Temperatures are expected to hit 35C on either Tuesday or Wednesday before thunderstorms hit and bring the long July heatwave to an end.
The hot weather has got so bad that in the centre of Cambridge a newly-resurfaced road has melted in the heat.
Some of the fires have been started deliberately. Holidaymakers were evacuated from the beach in Poole Harbour, Dorset, as the blaze tore through tinder-dry gorse, sending a thick cloud of black smoke 70ft into the air.
The blaze is being treated as a suspected arson attack. It was the second heath fire in as many days in the Poole area to be started deliberately.
Dorset Police said today they have arrested a teenager in connection with the two blazes.
As the heatwave continues, David Cameron did what millions of workers would love to do today and bunked off to watch the cricket.
The Prime Minister was spotted enjoying the sunshine and the sport in the crowds at Lord’s for the second Ashes test.
Ahead of the Ashes the cricket-loving PM hailed the competition as the ‘big one’ and warned Britain had ‘high hopes’ for Alistair Cook’s side as it took on the Australian’s.
Chillaxing Prime Minister: David Cameron watches the the second day of the second Ashes cricket test match between England and Australia at Lords
Fun in the Sun: David Cameron, sporting some interesting sunglasses, makes his way through the crowds at Lords this afternoon
Big day out: London Mayor Boris Johnson (centre) also enjoys the cricket at Lords this afternoon
Staying hot for now: Temperatures could hit 31C today before dropping to 26C tomorrow and hitting 28C on Sunday
South London burning: Firefighters damp down after putting out the blaze on Mitcham Common yesterday as the fire risk rises across the country in the warm weather
Heath fire: Sunbathers are forced to flee a beach in Poole, Dorset, as a fire breaks out close to where they were lying. Firefighters said the blaze was a suspected arson attack
Blaze near the beach: The fire, at the beauty spot of Ham Common, on Poole Harbour, Dorset burned for several hours, destroying giant swathes of protected nature reserve. Dorset Police have launched a hunt for the arsonists, who are also being blamed for a fire on nearby Canford Heath
Heat melts tarmac: The melted road surface in the centre of Cambridge after a prolonged spell of hot weather across Britain. It has gathered around the raised central reservation, which was recently resurfaced for £300,000
Too hot for the road: A long stretch of tarmac in Cambridge will now have to be resurfaced after being melted by the hot weather
Meltdown: Britain has basked in six consecutive days of temperatures higher than 30C - and in Cambridge the road has melted
In Cambridge, a week of blazing hot temperatures of more than 30C has caused the sticky black tarmac to melt and collect in a bizarre large wave at the side of East Road.
It has gathered around the raised central reservation of the road, which was recently resurfaced for a cost of £300,000.
'I wondered what had happened at first, then I realised the tarmac had melted into this odd shape,' said motorist James Smyth, from Cambridge. 'The heat must have been very intense to have melted the tarmac, I've never seen it happen before.'
Seven schoolchildren were rushed to hospital with heatstroke after being trapped on buses for several hours in an M25 traffic jam on the hottest day of the year, it emerged today.
The 10 and 11-year-old pupils from William Bellamy Primary School in Dagenham, east London, were on their way back from a day out when their bus got caught in traffic on Wednesday.
The pupils eventually arrived back three hours late and parents complained that there was not sufficient air conditioning on the bus.
A fleet of gritters have been deployed in Hampshire by the country council to dust the roads to stop the surfaces from melting there too.
Summer sun: A group of young people enjoy the weather punting along the River Cam in Cambridge
Boating day: The River Cam in Cambridge covered with boats as Britain enjoys another day of scorching temperatures
Beach fun: (from the left) Amy Bennett, aged 20, Claire Henny, 21, and Liana Pert, 20, at the beach in Lunan Bay near Montrose, Angus, as Scotland enjoys some sun
Families at the beach in Lunan Bay near Montrose, Angus, as Scotland basks in another day sun with temperatures approaching 30C
The Queen's water Lilly garden 'Cow Pond' in the Royal Park at Windsor which she officially opened in 2012 in full bloom
Lilly garden: The Cow Pond in the Royal Park at Windsor basks in the sunshine this afternoon
Sea chill: A man and woman cool down by the sea in Brighton today as Britain enjoys another scorching day
A spokesman from the Highways Agency said the roads they cover are designed to withstand temperatures of minus 15 degrees Celsius to 60 degrees Celsius. Although the air temperature has hit 30C, the actual temperature of the road is higher.
The weekend will be cooler with highs of 'just' 26C tomorrow and 28C on Sunday, the temperature will rise again and we could see 35C on either Tuesday or Wednesday.
But there is a chance Britain will be hit by thunderstorms as early as Sunday and the risk of a soaking will grow by the day.
Met Office forecasters said today a downpour is most likely to happen on either Wednesday or Thursday and it could bring a fall in temperatures.
Kirk Waite, a Met Office forecaster, said: 'Next week we are likely to see some unsettled weather. We are likely to see more showers and some of them thundery.
'There is going to be an increasing risk throughout the week. It is most likely on Wednesday or Thursday but it all depends on developments over the next few days. When some wet weather comes, it is likely to bring a drop in temperatures.
Summer gritting: A council has sent out gritting lorries in Totton, Hampshire, today to help keep the roads cool and to stop the tarmac from melting in the heat
Bronze Britain: A man sunbathes under a t-shirt on Brighton beach today during the country's most prolonged heatwave since 2006
Busy beach: The seafront at Brighton as Britain basks in another day of hot temperatures - and it is set to last until next week
Beach day: Two people paddle in the sea off Brighton beach as temperatures are expected to hit 30C again
Brighton: Maya, aged four, plays in the sea near the pier as the country enjoys the first prolonged heatwave for seven years
Fun in the sun: Mother Caroline and baby Ella Nicoll play in the sea in Brighton as the country enjoys yet another day of warm weather
Beach day: Sophie Mendus applies sun cream to Lewis Nye as they enjoy another scorching day on Brighton beach
A bit of cloud: Revellers sit on the beach at Brighton this afternoon on one of the warmest days of the year
Summer sun: Two people - and the seagulls - enjoy the weather on the beach at Brighton today
Another scorching day: A woman sunbathes at 9.30 in the morning at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, Cornwall
Beautiful Britain: A couple look out at the sea as they sunbathe at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, Cornwall
'We are likely to see a period of fresher and perhaps cooler weather to come in towards the end of next week. It is a case of wait and see how the story develops - the main focus will be whether these thundery outbursts develops.'
He added that today we will see highs of around 30C or 31C with the south coast and Midlands expected to see the highest temperatures.
So far, 13 people have died swimming in open waters since the heatwave began – four in disused quarries.
The prediction of 35C (95F) next week was made by forecasters MeteoGroup. It tweeted: ‘Mid-30s possible next week’ – making the UK hotter than anywhere in Europe and even more so than Greece or Italy.
Inner city beach day: People enjoying the urban beach 'Nottingham Riviera' in Nottingham's Market Square
City beach: Amelia Scott, aged three, enjoys the urban Nottingham Riveria beach on one of the warmest days of the year
Summer sun: Georgie Franks, aged two, enjoys another day of warm weather on the beach at Southsea, Hampshire
Beach fun: Wallace, a four year old Labradoodle, plays fetch with a surfboard on a busy Southsea beach, Portsmouth, Hampshire
Sunny day: Fern Thompson, 24, Ruth Groome, 20, and Lisa Cameron, 32, stroll along the promenade above Southsea beach in Hampshire
Cooling off: A man queues in his Seedos for an ice cream on Weston Shore, Southampton, Hampshire, today
Britain last saw temperatures this high in 2006, when 36.3C (97.3F) was recorded at Charlwood, Surrey – breaking a century-old record.
The hottest temperature recorded yesterday was 30.4C (86.7F) in Herne, Dorset – making it the 13th consecutive day that the mercury has topped 28C (82F) and the sixth that it has topped 30C (86F).
But there may finally be a good reason to be thankful for last year’s washout summer. It has kept supplies so high that there are no plans by water companies for rationing or a hosepipe ban.
Hot again: A woman and a child eating ice creams as they continue to enjoy the good weather in Roundhay Park, Leeds
In the sun: People enjoy the good weather in Roundhay Park, Leeds, as Britain enjoys a seventh consecutive day of 30C-plus temperatures
Sunshine at dawn: Danielle White strolls through fields of gold near Wells, Somerset, as Britain's scorching weather continues
Summer day Danielle White strolls through a field of gold as Britain's prolonged spell of hot weather continues. The heatwave is expected to last for another week
Beautiful morning: Deep sepia tones at Stonehenge at first light this morning as Britain wakes up to another day of scorching weather
Summer sun: A barge travels along a canal in central London today. Scientists estimate that the heatwave could have caused hundreds of premature deaths
The level three weather alert was extended to include South-West England and the West Midlands, as well as the South East and London.
In East Grinstead, East Sussex, a four-week-old baby had to be treated for sunburn in a hospital's specialist burns unit.
The child, who has not been identified, is one of ten children treated at Queen Victoria Hospital for burns caused by the hot weather.
Yesterday daredevils decided to leap in a canal and cool off in Blackburn, Lancashire, despite warnings that they are dicing with death.
The group, mostly aged in their early 20s, decided to cool off in the canal as temperatures in the north hit 27C. Police said the swimmers were ‘daft’ and warned that the action posed ‘obvious’ dangers.
Blackburn Inspector Abid Khan said: 'It is very dangerous. The water isn’t clear and you often can’t see what’s in there, among the many other risks.
Summer sun: People relax by the fountains in Marble Arch, central London, as a Met Office level three heatwave warning remains in force
Relaxing in the warm weather: People lie by a pool at Marble Arch on yet another day of warm weather
Fountain fun: A group of people sit at the water's edge at Marble Arch in central London
Another scorcher: Jeanne Hellyer, Lucy Kirkland and Sophie Hellyer take advantage of the sun and still water at Sandymouth Bay in Cornwall this morning
Summer sun: Lucy Kirkland enjoys an early morning paddle at Sandymouth Bay in Cornwall today. Temperatures are expected to reach highs of 31C today
Summer sun: Jeanne Hellyer enjoys the prolonged heatwave at Sandymouth Bay in Cornwall
Too hot: Three snow leopard cubs emerged for the first time at a Hampshire wildlife park - in blistering heat that their species are certainly not accustomed to
Adorable: The snow leopards, at Marwell Wildlife Park, near Winchester, Hampshire, take their first steps outside their enclosure as temperatures soar
'It is daft. No police officer wants to tell a family their loved one has been killed doing something silly. I know it might look very enticing but go to a proper pool where there are rescue facilities.'
Three newborn snow leopard cubs not accustomed to hot weather have emerged from their enclosure for the first time in Winchester, Hampshire.
The triplets seemed to be enjoying their surroundings as they climbed rocks and had a play fight with mother, Irina, at Marwell Wildlife Park.
Hot up north: Children playing in fountains as they enjoy the continuing hot weather in the City Square, Bradford
Big smile: A young boy plays in the fountain in City Square, Bradford, as the country basks in more warm weather
PS... It's Christmas in July! Cathedral opens festive store 159 days before December 25
As Britain basks in the summer heat, a Christmas shop has opened in Truro, Cornwall, selling nativity sets, decorations and advent calendars.
The shop, leased by Truro Cathedral, will be opened later by its dean, the Very Reverend Roger Bush.
He admitted it seemed 'a bit odd' to have a shop bedecked with Christmas items in the middle of July.
'We've had a successful Christmas shop within the cathedral for many years and we've found, oddly enough, that during the summer months when we get more visitors, people want to buy good quality Christmas products,' he said.
I know it looks a bit odd, culturally, to have Christmas things in the middle of perhaps the hottest time we've had for many years, but we do believe there is a demand for this.'
Christmas? The new Truro Cathedral Christmas store which cells nativity sets, decorations and advent calendars opens in the midst of a July heatwave
Christmas is coming: The Truro cathedral shop is already stocking festive products, 159 days before December 25
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