Scorching temperatures are affecting transport and water supplies as Britain’s heatwave looks set to continue with even more sunshine forecast for the coming days.
Roads melted, train tracks reached 49C and a hosepipe ban came into force in Northern Ireland on Friday evening.
Northern Ireland Water said demand was outstripping supply, leaving them with no option but to bring in the ban at 6pm in order to save water.
Elsewhere across the UK consumers are being urged to take simple steps to reduce the amount of water they use.
Top tips include taking a shorter shower, not leaving the taps running and re-using paddling pool water for plants in the garden.
NI Water chief executive Sara Venning said that using hoses and sprinklers is causing demand to exceed the capacity to supply.
According to the latest information from the Met Office, the highest temperature on Friday was 32.5C in Porthmadog in Wales.
The mercury hit 30.1C in Castlederg in Northern Ireland, 29.4C in Bridgefoot in England, and 28.4C in Threave, Scotland.
Met Office forecaster Mark Wilson said temperatures may be slightly lower over the weekend, but will widely be in the balmy mid to high twenties.
Britons enjoyed the hottest temperature of the year for the fourth day in a row on Thursday as the mercury soared to 33C in Porthmadog in Wales.
While temperatures appear to have peaked for now, they will remain high into the weekend and early next week.
The Met Office warned that thunderstorms might affect parts of south west England and south Wales on Sunday, with “torrential downpours” possible.
Saturday could see highs of 29C in England and Scotland, 27C in Northern Ireland and Wales, and predicted highs of around 31C in some parts of the UK by Monday.
Gritters have been deployed in some areas, spreading crushed rock dust onto melting roads to create a non-stick layer between the surface and vehicles.
Motorists have been advised to use warm soapy water to wash sticky tar from their vehicles.
Some railway track soared to nearly 50C, leading them to expand and bend.
Trains had to be stopped from running over a section of track near Carlisle station on Thursday.
Speed restrictions have been in place all week on the route from London Waterloo to New Malden due to the scorching temperatures, causing delays to services.
Translink Rail services also felt the heat as they were forced to delay and cancel services across Northern Ireland on Thursday as rail lines reached over 50C and began to buckle.
The Met Office’s heat-health watch alert has remained at level two all week, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.
This week is the first time since 2013 all four nations in the UK have seen temperatures of 30C or above, the Met Office said.
The RSPCA called on pet owners to keep a close eye on their animals in the heat after receiving 625 calls about animals in hot environments between June 11 and 24 – the majority about dogs in hot cars.
