Baking Britain: Heatwave in pictures as UK melts after 'second driest June ever'

Britain is basking in a heatwave that saw one of the hottest and driest Junes ever.

The sweltering sunshine has continued into July, with temperatures continuing to sit in the mid-to-high 20s in many parts of the UK.

The soaring temperatures have seen utility companies pump billions of extra litres of water to keep pace with demand, while some roads have melted and rail tracks threatened to buckle.

The weather has been dry since late February in the country, with authorities saying rainfall has been similar to 1976, when a major drought took hold.

Across the country, council staff and social workers have been making extra calls and visits to the vulnerable and elderly, who are more likely to struggle in the heat, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.

The steps are part of an “annual heatwave plan”, developed after more than 2,000 people died in England owing to extreme temperatures in 2003.