The mercury could hit 95F (35C) today then 99F (37C) on 'Furnace Friday' tomorrow, triggering thunderstorm warnings for the next two days. There is even a chance Britain could beat its all-time record of 101.3F (38.5C).
Nurses have reported feeling exhausted, sick and dizzy as the hot weather raises temperatures in hospitals, while parents have been ordered to pick up children from nursery early because of the heat.
London Underground passengers said they 'could barely breathe' in what they described as 'hellhole' conditions, and commuters in East Anglia heading in and out of the capital were let furious after trains were cancelled.
The temperature at London Heathrow reached 93.9F (34.4C) at 2pm today, raising the possibility of it being the hottest ever July day - for which it would need to beat the 98.1F (36.7C) set at the same airport on July 1, 2015.
Rail journeys are being disrupted by the hot weather as train speeds are reduced to stop tracks from buckling, with Greater Anglia saying it had cancelled 13 services, including seven afternoon rush-hour trains out of London.
Chiltern Railways trains between London and Oxford are being rescheduled between noon and 6pm today and tomorrow due to high track temperatures, while speed restrictions were also introduced by Northern this week.
And in Kent, Eurotunnel chiefs said the 'exceptional and prolonged temperatures' meant some air conditioning units on board were struggling to produce sufficient cool air, so it could not allow vehicles onto these carriages.
Some travellers said on Twitter that they had been waiting for more than four hours, adding that they wanted water to be distributed to cars in the queue - and telling bosses on social media: 'Get your act together.'
To make matters worse, unions said a strike by South Western Railway workers in the bitter dispute over the role of guards on trains was being 'solidly supported' today, with more stoppages planned over the next few weeks.
MailOnline
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