South East residents have been advised by the Met Office to stay out of the sun for the rest of the week.
The weather service has issues a level three amber heat health watch warning, with temperatures set to top 30C tomorrow [Thursday] in Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.
A Met Office spokeswoman said: ‘Dry and sunny weather should dominate through the week, but interspersed with heavy showers in afternoon and evening periods.
‘Temperatures will be very warm or hot; very hot in the east. Thresholds could be breached in places from Monday onwards, with very warm and muggy overnight conditions.’
From June 1 to July 16, the average daily maximum temperature for the whole of the UK was nearly 21C, which led the Met Office to predict the 2018 summer could be the hottest on record.
Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council posted a picture of a scorched Barden Lake with a message advising residents to keep cool.
This message was reiterated by Kent County Council, whose Director for Public Health Andrew Scott said: ‘When it is hot outside, it is really important that families and communities look out for the people around them.
‘The heat can affect your health more than you might think – prolonged exposure to hot temperatures can lead to worsening of heart problems, respiratory difficulties and serious health problems, and can cause heatstroke, which is potentially fatal.
‘There are also long term issues of skin cancer from sunburn but some simple common sense precautions mean we can all enjoy the weather without a trip to A&E.’
