Thunderstorms wash away heatwave

Britain's hottest spell in years was washed away in thunderous style today as a raft of summer storms swept across the country.

Temperatures around the country were dropping by up to 8C (46.4F) as forecasters warned the weekend would serve up unsettled conditions.

Only parts of Scotland were still enjoying the best of the weather as rain and thunder stretched west from East Anglia.

Tennis-lovers were relieved to hear that the worst of the rain was likely to miss Wimbledon however.

Matt Dobson, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, said Britain's heatwave was officially over.

He added: "Temperatures have returned to normal and I cannot see high temperatures returning for 10 days at least.

"We have got cooler air coming in from the South West and thunderstorms from East Anglia to Scotland."

Unusually, Inverness was one of the hottest places in the UK today, with temperatures expected to peak at 26C (78.8F)."

The hot weather - which saw temperatures reach a high of 31.8C (89.2F) on Tuesday in the warmest spell since 2006 - will be replaced by cooler air accompanied by showers in many parts over the weekend.

Yesterday, swathes of the UK remained in the grip of the blistering heat while other parts dealt with heavy rain and flash floods.

Temperatures yesterday afternoon soared to 30C (86F) at Heathrow airport, but other regions - including the North, the West and Ireland - were hit by heavy downpours.

During the hot spell, ambulance crews treated large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting.

It also emerged that a 17-year-old boy died while swimming with friends in a reservoir near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday afternoon.

And there was a grim reminder that animals are vulnerable to the heat, after two German shepherd police dogs died when they were left in a car outside Nottinghamshire's force headquarters in Arnold.

Trafalgar Square's fountains were shut down after soaring temperatures caused the growth of algae.

In contrast, the North East was hit by localised flash flooding.

In Kuwait, British troops were dealing with temperatures far higher than those in the UK.

Temperatures peaked at 47C (116.6F) making it one of the hottest spots on the planet.