LONDON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Britain continued to experience record-breaking heat on Friday, with a provisional temperature of 37.3 degrees Celsius recorded in Santon Downham, Suffolk, making it the hottest June day on record, the BBC reported.
The previous provisional June record of 36.7 degrees Celsius, set on Thursday in Merryfield, Somerset, was surpassed just one day later as the heatwave intensified.
The Met Office has issued a Red weather warning for London and southeast England, which remains in effect until Friday evening. Meanwhile, thunderstorms swept across parts of northern Britain on Friday afternoon, bringing frequent lightning, heavy rainfall and hazardous conditions in some areas.
The extreme heat has disrupted daily life across the country. In London, officials warned that pavement temperatures in parts of the capital had reached as high as 57 degrees Celsius. The London Ambulance Service said emergency 999 calls had surged by 50 percent during the heatwave, according to the BBC.
Elsewhere, Sheffield's tram network was suspended on Friday because of the extreme temperatures.
Relief is expected over the weekend. After a week of record-breaking heat, the Met Office said cooler, less humid air is forecast to spread across much of the country by Sunday, bringing temperatures back down.
