From transport to zoos: how UK services coped in the sweltering heat

Train services were cut and schools closed, with water firms experiencing unprecedented demanded' as Britain tried to stay cool

• Extreme UK weather: latest updates

Train services have been cut, flights have been grounded and schools closed as temperatures soared into the high-30s in a heatwave stretching across England and Wales.

Temperatures hit 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, and 37.4C in Kew Gardens, west London, making it the hottest day of the year. Wales recorded its highest ever temperature, with the mercury creeping up to 35.3C.