</form> Britain will be the hottest spot in Europe today, with forecasters saying parts of the country could beat the UK's record of a sweltering 38
5C. The searing heat will make the UK warmer than Cairo (34C), Delhi (31C) and in Khartoum (32C)
The Weather Outlook forecaster Brian Gaze said: "After 'Toasty Thursday,' Friday will be the real 'day of fire
' "Flame-thrower heat has arrived from Africa – but the heatwave ends in a big bang with thunderstorms
" Met Office forecaster Paul Gundersen said: "We could break the all-time UK record of 38
5C." But the heatwave could also spark violent storms that may dump inches of rain in minutes
The Met Office yellow alert, for torrential downpours, hail and strong gusts, has been extended to cover the South East and northern and eastern parts for this afternoon and into the evening
Rain was recorded in Cambridge yesterday for the first time since June 12, with 2
27mm from 3.30 to 4pm. While a mix of toxic air, extreme highs plus emissions from the continent have caused a high air-pollution alert to be issued for London
The UK had its hottest day of the year yesterday as temperatures reached a peak of 35
1C. The high was recorded in Wisley, Surrey, while the lowest temperature in Britain was in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, where 4
8C was recorded. The sunniest place on Thursday was Valley on the west coast of Anglesey with 14
8 hours, while South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides, was the wettest with 16.4mm of rain
Bookmaker Coral slashed odds on August being the hottest on record from 2-1 to just 5-4
The firm also has 6-4 odds on the highest UK temperature being recorded this summer
Meanwhile, the heatwave has sparked a boom for seaside towns, and an estimated 27 million people have decided to take a staycation as clear skies continue
With the average family of four spending £840 on a week in the UK, hotels, cafes and bars could rake in almost £567million Oliver Berry, co-author of the Lonely Planet's Guide to Great Britain, said: "It's great to see that Brits are getting out and exploring their own backyard
" The number of Britons flocking to the seaside is set to more than double as sunny breaks to the Med are dumped
Traditional resorts Southend in Essex; Margate in Kent, Scarborough in North Yorks and St Ives, Cornwall, are enjoying a surge
Southend has had the biggest boost, with train bookings to the town for this month and next up 210% compared with the same period in 2016
Bookings to Margate have increased by 164%, while St Ives and Scarborough have experienced a rise of 79% and 76% respectively
Analysts identified the spikes by comparing the Trainline app's booking data for this year and 2016
Non-coastal areas are also experiencing a tourism boost. Birmingham has had a 163% surge in people planning to travel there this summer compared with 2016
Manchester had a 141% increase, Wigan a 113% rise and Scunthorpe is up 106%. Further south, the New Forest has had a 91% rise in bookings
VisitBritain's Jo Leslie said: "The prediction of really hot, settled weather meant SuperBreak, which specialises in holidays in the UK, had its busiest week yet last week
"We'll see a tourist boom across the whole of Britain. UK residents will take more breaks in their own country and the high temperatures will persuade more overseas visitors to come
" Jane Seddon, of the British Resorts Association, said: "Last weekend in particular was as busy as a bank holiday, with as many as 30,000 people flocking to Blackpool
" Brits have also been soaking up the sun in the likes of Broadstairs in Kent, Lyme Regis in Dorset and even on a traffic island in Hackney, East London
Tourism is not the only industry to benefit, with the trade body for apple growers predicting the tastiest crop for a generation
Read More Record heatwave bakes UK Ali Capper, chair of English Apples & Pears, said: "We haven't seen growing conditions like this for many years
" Office for National Statistics figures showed that 503 deaths more than average were recorded in the heatwave's first two weeks up to July 13
In 2003's 38.5C heatwave, 2,139 Brits died. Public Health England said: "Excess summer deaths are the result of heat-related conditions
"
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