Downpours signal end of UK heatwave » Environment » 24dash.com

Forecasters signalled the end of Britain's hottest spell in years tonight after half the country sweltered while the other was soaked.

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

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

Parts of Ireland and western England were deluged this morning by up to 20mm of rain. Around 300 homes in Cornwall suffered a power cut after lightning strikes.

Victoria Kettley, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, said temperatures would drop over the weekend to about 21C by Monday.

She said: "It's been a day of some contrast across Britain.

"Temperatures reached 30C at Heathrow but I am not sure we will reach the previous day's highs.

"The temperatures are likely to drop slightly from herein. The hot spell is over for now."

The current sunny spell is the hottest since 2006 with yesterday seeing the highest temperatures of the year at 31.8C (89.2F).

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

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

A Greater London Authority spokesman said the chlorinating unit in the fountains broke down in the heat and the capital's hot weather created the conditions for the algae to grow.

Players at Wimbledon faced hot and sunny weather although there was a small risk of a light shower in the evening, before the weather turns more unsettled tomorrow.

In contrast, the North East was hit by minor flooding.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "There was some very localised flash flooding, mainly in agricultural areas, last night in the North East and we've heard some reports of some flash flooding in Durham.

"However the worst of that seems to have passed now.

"We are watching the South West but rivers there so far are not responding (to the rain) and the ground is still taking on water. There have been no reports to us of any flash flooding.

"We continue to monitor the situation."

Forecasters have already raised the heatwave warning alert level from two to three.

The heatwave plan alert is in four stages, with green level one signalling "summer preparedness and long-term planning".

Level two is amber and signals "alert and readiness", while three is red for "heatwave action". Level four is classed as "red emergency".

Wayne Elliott, head of health forecasting at the Met Office, said: "There are four key things to try and remember during a heatwave.

"If possible, stay out of the heat during the middle part of the day, cool yourself down, keep your environment cool and look out for others, especially older people, those living alone, babies and young children."

The London Ambulance Service said it had seen a busy few days and urged people to only call for an ambulance in a genuine emergency.

As people attempted to cope with the heat, department store chain Debenhams said demand for children's sun hats has soared, with enough sold in June to shade every child who visited Legoland on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Figures also suggested that men are ditching suits and shirts for more casual clothes to stay cool in the office, with sales of casual shorts up 204% week on week.

Demand for the store's light three-tog duvets has likewise undergone a dramatic increase, with average weekly sales more than doubling in June compared with the previous month.

Sales of self-tanning products also rose, up 16% week on week, suggesting consumers are more aware about the long-term effects of sun damage.

But 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.