Europe was bracing itself for a sweltering Saturday as the heat wave continued across the continent. The Meteo-France weather service lifted its red warning but forecast a very hot day across a large central band of the country with the mercury expected to rise to 42 degrees Celsius in some parts.
It has been the hottest Easter Monday on record in all four nations of the UK, the Met Office has said. England reached the highest temperature with 25C (77F) recorded at Heathrow, Northolt and Wisley.
Three of the UK's nations have recorded their highest ever Easter Sunday temperatures, the Met Office has said. Scotland's peak was 23.4C (74F), in Edinburgh, while that same temperature was also the high point in Wales - coming in Cardiff. Northern Ireland beat a 95-year-old record when the mercury hit 21C at Helen's Bay near Bangor.