Britain hit a record high temperature for June on Thursday as large parts of Western Europe remained in the grip of a deadly early summer heat wave that has killed dozens of people, disrupted power supplies, and shut schools and cultural landmarks.

A deadly heatwave has engulfed Europe, with temperatures soaring above 40°C, killing 18 in France and causing widespread health alerts and transport disruptions.

A heatwave in Europe is expected to break June records for the UK and France.