Brits hoping to bask in temperatures up to 34C at the end of this week should take the heatwave "seriously", experts have warned as they urge "not to wait for people to die".
Forecasters expect 29C temperatures in London today, surpassing the 28.2C recorded at Kew Gardens, in the south-west of the capital on Wednesday, which was the hottest day of the year.
The South East will then sizzle on Friday as the mercury rises to 34C, with 27C-30C expected across most of England and Wales, meaning the country will be hotter than parts of Jamaica and the Maldives.
