Faarea Masud
Business reporter

Image source, Getty Images

If internet searches are anything to go by, interest in air-conditioning has soared during the heatwave.

Air conditioners can come fully installed or portable, and consumer group Which? advises you should consider initial costs, running costs, how much maintenance a unit needs, as well as noise levels, when thinking about buying one.

The average portable air conditioner, which can be wheeled out during hot summer days and stored away during winter, uses 22p per hour on their highest setting, Which? says, adding that’s about as much energy as a typical fridge freezer uses in one day.

You may need one for each room in your home.

The cheapest Which? tested cost about 17p per hour to run, and the priciest 31p per hour. It adds that the most energy-efficient models cool quickly, so you don't have to have the air-con on for as long.

“Split-unit” air conditioners tend to be more energy efficient, but are more expensive and have to be permanently installed by a professional. Which? doesn’t test those as they’re not so popular in the UK.

Ali Totten
BBC News NI weather presenter

Temperatures have risen further in the Republic of Ireland - which had recorded its hottest May day earlier today.

In Met Éireann's latest update, the mercury hit 30C at Shannon Airport in County Clare - beating Monday's record of 28.6 degrees at the same location.

That makes Tuesday the warmest May day on record across the island of Ireland and the warmest day of the year so far. The previous May record had stood at 28.4C, set in County Kerry in 1997.

Met Éireann has also issued a yellow warning for high temperatures in counties Clare, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Laois, Limerick, Offaly, and Tipperary for Tuesday at Tuesday 12:00 BST until Wednesday at 18:00 BST.

• We've more on the picture on the island of Ireland in our news story

Ellie Price
Correspondent

Here at Godstone Farm, just a few miles down the road from Kenley which set a new record for overnight temperatures last night, the llamas have sprinklers and the pigs have extra mud to wallow in to keep cool.

Normally there would be around 1,800 visitors here on a single day in half term, but today the farm says only around 600 people have braved the heat.

People we spoke to were chomping on ice creams, finding the shady bits and heading home early to the paddling pool.

Image source, RZSS

You've been sending us some pictures of how your furry friends are keeping cool during the hot weather. But what about those of the feathered variety?

Keepers at Edinburgh Zoo have pulled out all the stops for their king, gentoo and northern rockhopper penguins with a bumper ice delivery - although it has already triggered some hot headed responses.

"Our penguins are having a great time claiming their spot on their ice piles, with a few light arguments over who gets the best spot," Darren McGarry, head of animal care says.

He adds that "they also have water sprinklers, sunshades and of course their cold pool to cool off in."

Other animals including the zoo’s red river hogs, Visayan warty pigs, sloth bears and Jai the greater one-horned rhino have also been helping themselves to a frozen feast.

Image source, RZSS

Image source, RZSS

Dan Johnson
West of England correspondent

Bal Padda runs Vicarage Nurseries, a strawberry farm in Worcestershire that delivers fruit to Wimbledon. The farm is now however finding it harder as the berries ripen faster.

"They're ripening too quick, we can't get round them fast enough. It's very hot but we have to struggle and get on with it because if we leave it it will just get more ripe and won't be edible," he tells the BBC.

He says the biggest issue he's facing is not just the warm temperatures during the day, but in the evening too.

To get the deliveries and picking done, the team are coming in as early as 05:00 to meet their targets. He says they taking more breaks than usual due to the heat.

"There comes a point where it's too hot to work, which happened last year, meaning they pushed their work out earlier to get the work done," he explains.

Padda says although the weather can be great for families, working on a farm means they need "consistent seasons not the peaks and troughs" which can make it difficult to sell their fruit.

Tinshui Yeung
Live reporter

Image source, Jon Forshaw

Jon Forshaw, who grows cereals and vegetables in Tarleton, Lancashire, tells me that the unusually hot weather is having an impact on his farm.

"The leaves of cauliflower are very big, so they wilt a bit in the hot weather," he says.

He's currently irrigating his crops, but says "there's a cost with that".

"It's not too bad at the moment, but if it carries on like this, it will obviously have an effect on crop size and yield," he adds.

To adapt to changing weather patterns, Forshaw says he's moving some crops closer to water to help reduce these irrigation costs. He's also thinking about growing different types of crops.

The heat is affecting his work schedule too - he started at 05:30 BST today to get ahead before it became too hot.

"It saps your energy," he says. "It's not good for you working out in this."

There have been calls for restrictions on outdoor work in extreme heat, but Forshaw says sometimes crops just have to be harvested.

Joe Coughlan
Live reporter

Image source, Dr Richard Allan

This month has seen the greatest monthly temperature range in Reading in almost 120 years of records, according to data from the Berkshire town's university.

The University of Reading's atmospheric observatory recorded its hottest ever May day on Tuesday as temperatures provisionally hit 33.1C.

It follows a low of -0.1C on 12 May earlier this month - equalling a total range of 33.2C.

While the recordings still need to be verified by manual observations, both the May day record and temperature range record were also broken on Monday after the mercury rose to 32.8C, which gave an overall monthly range of 32.9C.

The previous highest monthly range of 32.8C in Reading was in May 1944, when the previous hottest May day was also recorded at 31.9C.

Dr Richard Allan, who works at the university's meteorology department, tells me: "What is quite disturbing is the fact we have not only broken the weather record from May, we have smashed it out the park."

The professor of climate science says hot days can increase in temperature more rapidly than in mild weather due to warmer atmospheres being "thirstier", thus being capable of sapping more moisture from the ground.

Tuesday also saw the university recording its third consecutive day in heatwave conditions, the first time this has happened since May 1922.

Temperatures have risen further in both England and Wales - which both recorded their hottest May days on record earlier.

In its latest update, the Met Office says that the temperature recorded in Kew Gardens has now provisionally reached 35.1C. The UK record was broken earlier today, when it reached 35.0C there.

In Cardiff Bute Park, it says temperatures have now reached 32.9C - after breaking the all-time temperature record for May earlier at 32.3C.

Passengers travelling on trains up and down the country are facing delays and cancellations because of the hot weather. As we enter rush hour, let's take a look at some of the disruption.

• Avanti West Coast says services running to and from London Euston may be delayed or cancelled due to a points failure
• South Western Railway (SWR) has cancelled some afternoon and early evening services between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Southampton and Bournemouth, and London Waterloo and Aldershot - it earlierwarned passengers that services across its entire network "may be revised" because of the hot weather
• Meanwhile, LNER says two speed restrictions on its routes are causing delays on journeys passing through St Neots, Cambridgeshire, Tollerton, and North Yorkshire
• Great Northern says damage to overhead electric wires mean it cannot run services between Cambridge and Kings Lynn

Why does hot weather affect train journeys?

Overhead electric lines can expand and sag in hot weather, forcing trains to travel more slowly to avoid damage.

Steel rails also expand as temperatures increase, slowing down trains and increasing the chance of delays and cancellations.

Image source, Fiddlesticks

Norwich-based clog dancing group, the Fiddlesticks, says it had to adapt its bank holiday Monday displays along the Thames Valley as temperatures soared to 34.8C (96.4F) in parts of London.

The genre is similar to Morris dancing, but the dancers wear wooden clogs. On very hot days, routines can be sweaty, stamina-testing challenges.

Julie Brown, from Fiddlesticks, says: "We've been modifying our dances a little bit, putting our most energetic dances at the start of our sets."

For the Fiddlesticks' members - who range in age from 20-somethings to people in their 80s - Browns says performing has "been really, really hot for both our band and our dancers... it's been tough."

Image source, Fiddlesticks

Madeleine Lake
Reporting from Regent's Park

There's not a cloud in sight or sign of any rain, yet I'm seeing an abundance of umbrellas.

Across parks in London and even on the busiest streets, they are everywhere.

Akiko Bird, 67, is from Tokyo and has lived in London for over 25 years.

She says a Japanese umbrella is a common way to protect yourself from the heat.

"The heat in Japan especially in the north can reach 40C, in the summer and the ladies don't like getting tanned so they use this. You can use it for the rain but it blocks the light as well", she says.

Akiko says it's an essential for her to have in hot weather, "I do prefer London summer here, Tokyo can be unpleasant because it's so humid, you just sweat constantly."

She's faced many spells of hot weather before and tells me she remembers resorting to putting wet towels around her neck during the 2020 UK heatwave.

Derek Brockway
BBC Meteorologist

Image source, BBC WEATHER WATCHERS/Shropshire Liam

It’s been the hottest May day ever recorded across Wales.

A temperature of 32.3C was recorded at Bute Park in Cardiff today.

That breaks yesterday’s new record of 32.2C at Hawarden Airport in Flintshire.

The previous May record had stood at 30.6C, set in Newport on 29 May 1944.

Freya Scott-Turner
Live reporter

Image source, EDD MOORE

For some, headlines on this week's record-breaking heat could cause "eco-anxiety".

The government defines this as , external"the distress and worry that people may feel due to the threat of climate change" and says that young people are thought to be most at risk.

Heat, long dry spells and extreme weather have made young people more aware of climate change, says Edd Moore, a climate education consultant who works with schools and young people.

"For many children, that growing awareness can bring real anxiety about what their future world will look like", he tells the BBC.

Moore recommends that people with this anxiety spend more time in nature, focus on small practical actions within their local communities, or connect with others who share their concerns. This can "restore a sense of control, hope and resilience", he says.

Barra Best
BBC News NI weather presenter

It’s been the warmest May day ever recorded across the island of Ireland.

A temperature of 29.7C was recorded at Oak Park in County Carlow today.

That breaks yesterday’s new record of 28.6C at Shannon Airport in County Clare.

The previous May record had stood at 28.4C, set in County Kerry in 1997.

The final figures could be higher when they come in later.

Lancashire Police is investigating reports that a child has got into difficulty in a river in Ribchester.

In a statement, the police force says its officers were called at around 14:00 today "to a concern for the welfare of a child who had gone into the river at Ribchester".

"The child, a boy, had got into difficulty while swimming with friends," it says, adding that emergency services are at the scene and "searches are ongoing".

It is the hottest May day on record, breaking the record set on Monday.

"Today is now the hottest day in May on record with Heathrow and Kew Gardens provisionally reaching 35.0C," the Met Office says.

"Until yesterday the highest temperature in May was 32.8C, but we've now exceeded that record on consecutive days by a full two degrees Celsius."

Yesterday, temperatures reached 34.8C at Kew Gardens.

Damian Grammaticas
Political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

Downing Street has said that the idea of setting a maximum legal temperature for workplaces "is not something [they] are looking at".

Some countries do have such limits.

In Spain, for instance, the maximum legal working temperature indoors is 27C for sedentary work and 25C for light physical work.

Amid the heatwave, a Downing Street spokesperson says that "the government would always encourage people to follow health advice from the UK Health Security Agency in order to keep cool in these temperatures".

Asked whether the prime minister would encourage people to consider working from home, the spokesperson says that is "a matter for individual employers".

Image source, Weather Watchers/TweeterofWit

The Met Office is warning of the potential for "cold shock", as sea and other open water temperatures are much lower than the highs being felt during this heatwave.

The forecaster has shared a map which shows that even in the south-east of England, sea temperatures are around 14C.

What is cold water shock?

When our bodies enter cold water abruptly, it can lead to cold shock. This shock causes the blood vessels in the skin to close, increasing the resistance of blood flow, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) explains.

It also increases heart rate, meaning the heart has to work harder and your blood pressure goes up, the RNLI says, warning that cold water shock can cause heart attacks even in those who are young and healthy.

"The sudden cooling of the skin by cold water also causes an involuntary gasp for breath. Breathing rates can change uncontrollably, sometimes increasing as much as tenfold. All these responses contribute to a feeling of panic, increasing the chance of inhaling water directly into the lungs," the RNLI adds.

Image source, Met Office

Image source, Andy F/Geograph

A man in his 60s has died after running into the sea to help two relatives who had got into difficulty on a beach in Cornwall, according to police.

The incident happened at about 15:50 BST on bank holiday Monday on Tregirls Beach near Padstow.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the man, who lived locally, suffered a cardiac arrest after reportedly entering the water to assist two family members, who were brought to safety by other people at the beach.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. His death follows news of three others at swimming sites across England:

• A body was recovered from the water at Rother Valley Country Park in South Yorkshire in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a teenage boy went missing on Monday
• The body of a teenage girl was recovered from Kingsbury Water Park in Warwickshire on Monday evening
• A 13-year-old boy died after getting into difficulty while in a reservoir in Halifax, Yorkshire, on Monday afternoon

Dozens of homes in Kent have been left with little or no water for the third day as the hot weather continues.

The outages began on Saturday and peaked on Sunday when about 800 properties in the villages of Charing, Challock and Molash were unable to get water.

South East Water (SEW) says teams are working hard to restore drinking water supplies across the region following "high demand during the exceptionally hot weather", which led to "storage reservoirs running low in parts of Kent".

The company says it is having to pump more water than usual to higher ground due to this demand, and customers in these areas may experience low pressure or supply interruptions, especially at peak use times.

A SEW spokesperson adds:

• Around 64 properties in the Radfall area of Whitstable are experiencing low pressure or no water as a pump has failed
• Fewer than 20 properties on higher ground in the Ulcombe area of Kent are also experiencing ongoing water supply problems
• Repairs have also been carried out on a burst water main in the Decoy Drive area of Eastbourne, where water should now be returning to 168 properties