Suffolk records hottest ever day – but could get hotter on Tuesday

Suffolk has recorded its hottest ever day today – but that record may last just 24 hours.

According to East Anglia-based forecaster Weatherquest, Santon Downham in the west of the county recorded a provisional temperature of 38.1C at 4pm – making it the hottest place in the UK today (July 18).

This also means today is the county's hottest ever day, passing Suffolk's previous record of 37.3C from August 10, 2003.

However, the new record may last just 24 hours.

Experts at Weatherquest are expecting temperatures to reach 40C in the west of the region tomorrow for the first time.

Previously, the hottest ever temperature in the UK was 38.7C recorded in Cambridge on July 25, 2019.

On Monday, many facilities across Suffolk were forced to close as a result of the heat and people in the county were urged to only travel if necessary.

At Colchester Zoo, keepers were supplying their animals with frozen bottles of water, ice enrichment, and sprinklers to ensure they kept cool in the sweltering heat.

In Ipswich, one swimming pool was forced to close after "extreme temperatures" were reported in the building and will only be open for two hours on Tuesday morning, before temperatures are set to rise again.

And as Tuesday approaches, parts of west Suffolk have been included in the Met Office's red weather warning for extreme heat, with "population-wide adverse health effects" to continue, which in some cases can lead to "serious illness or danger to life".

There remains a high risk of failure of heat-sensitive systems and equipment, potentially leading to localised loss of power and other essential services, such as water or mobile phone services.

Delays on roads and road closures are still likely, along with delays and cancellations to rail and air travel, with "significant welfare issues" for those who experience even moderate delays.

Also in Suffolk, Cavendish, near Sudbury, was another place that experienced 38C by 4pm on Monday.