A major incident was declared in London on Tuesday as fires tore through residential areas of the capital during the 40C heatwave.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) came under "immense pressure" as crews tackled a number of significant blazes spread across the capital.
It came as the mercury soared to 40.3C in Coningsby in Lincolnshire, beating the previous record for the UK of 38.7C in Cambridge three years ago, by 1.6C. At least 29 observation sites across England have provisionally broken the previous all-time record, the Met Office said.
The hottest temperature in London was recorded in Heathrow at 12.20pm, where the mercury reached 40.2C.
A major incident declared by the LFB remained in place as of Tuesday evening, with Londoners warned not to have barbecues or call the emergency services unless there is an immediate risk to life.
Homes in Wennington, Essex were evacuated after a grass fire spread to houses just after 1pm. Fifteen fire crews and 100 firefighters were sent to battle the blaze, which is thought to have started on nearby shrubland.
Aerial footage showed several properties completely destroyed by the flames, with fields engulfed by black smoke.
A firefighter at the scene said that the conditions at the fire were "absolute hell", while those affected by the blaze said it had been spreading “fast”.
In Dagenham, two people were taken to hospital after a fire erupted on a wide area of grassland.
Footage shared on social media also showed a large fire breaking out on Dartford Heath. Kent Fire and Rescue Service said twelve fire engines and a height vehicle had been sent to the scene near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green.
Elsewhere in London, the LFB sent fire crews to:
• Pinner, where twelve fire engines tackled a fire involving garden fencing and trees on Uxbridge Road
• Southgate, where ten fire engines attended a restaurant fire on Green Lanes
• Croydon, where eight fire engines tackled a grass fire
• Dagenham, where eight fire engines dealt with a grass fire on Ballards Road
• Wembley, where eight fire engines attended a fire on The Broadway
• Hendon, where six fire engines tackled a grass fire on Sunningfields Crescent
• Croydon, where four fire engines dealt with a grass fire on Chapel View
• Eltham, four fire engines attended a fire on Sidcup Road
Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner at LFB, said that “rapid fire spread” had “impacted on properties, people’s homes, schools, churches and other types of buildings”.
“At the moment, because of the sheer number of incidents we’ve been attending today, we will be pulling all of that information together and making sure every incident is thoroughly investigated,” he said.
“Once we’ve done that we’ll be able to give an accurate picture of exactly the incidents we’ve attended, how many homes have been affected and if there have been any casualties.”
Disruption to transport and schools continued on Tuesday as the UK experienced its hottest day since records began, with scientists warning that extreme heatwaves were likely to become a more frequent occurrence as a result of climate change.
The Met Office's chief scientist Professor Stephen Belcher warned temperatures would get more extreme in the future, and the only way to stabilise the climate was to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero.
For parts of the UK, the searing temperatures come on top of months of below average rainfall, leaving conditions tinder-dry and putting most of England at "exceptional" risk of wildfires, with fire crews battling hundreds of blazes around the country.
Nigel Arnell, Professor of Climate Change Science, University of Reading, said that global warming was "increasing fire danger across the UK, and we need to be prepared for it."
Trackside fires and damage to overhead lines also halted train services, while there were widespread suspensions, disruptions, reduced services and temporary speed restrictions to cope with the risk of buckling rails.
Nine people have died or are feared dead in accidents in open water since Saturday, including several teenagers, and a swimmer who was missing at sea after an incident close to Clacton pier in Essex on Tuesday.
The Met Police said that officers would be patrolling open spaces overnight to ensure that Londoners are complying with LFB instructions not to hold barbecues or bonfires.
They urged residents in the capital not to leave broken bottles or glass on the ground and to dispose of cigarettes safely.
