The record for the hottest June day was broken again when the temperature exceeded 37C

The UK record for the hottest day in June was broken for the third consecutive day on Friday, with temperatures reaching 37.3C. In Suffolk, the Met Office said.

A 50-year-old record was hit by more than a full degree, highlighting the scorching heat the country has experienced this week.

It caused travel disruption, schools closed, and six NHS trusts declared critical incidents after being overwhelmed by patients.

But the scorching heat is expected to ease over the weekend and a yellow warning for thunderstorms has been issued for Scotland and parts of northern England.

The temporarily warmest June temperatures were recorded in the village of Santon Downham on Friday.

It surpassed the high of 36.7 in Merrifield Somerset on Thursday.

Wales saw a peak of 35.1C in a Flintshire village, and Scotland’s highest temperature of 29.2C was recorded in Dumfries and Galloway.

It was cooler in Northern Ireland with a high of 25.6C in County Down. The thunderstorm warning until Friday night has been cancelled.

All four countries experienced their hottest temperatures of the year this week, with temperatures of more than 20C continuing overnight for many in England and Wales – a phenomenon forecasters call “hot nights”.

Red warnings for extreme heat – meaning there is an adverse public health or life-threatening risk – remain in place for London, the east and the south-east until 21:00 BST on Friday.

Amber heat warnings are in place for south-west England until Saturday night with thundery showers.