Yes, it really is as hot in your office as you think it is

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If you feel like you've been melting at your desk today, take heart – much of the south east has probably been feeling the same way.

Temperatures sailed past the 30 degrees Celsius mark in some parts of the country today, with Gravesend clocking up the hottest temperature of the year so far.

In the commuter hub, temperatures flirted with a tropical 34 degrees, with the Met Office officially noting the temperature as a sweltering 33.9 degrees. The Kent town beat out Suffolk's Cavendish, where temperatures reached 33.8 degrees.

But rocketing temperatures aren't all about cold beers and ice creams. Yesterday, Public Health England (PHE) put out a health warning, after the Met Office declared a Level 3 heatwave alert for some areas in the east of the country.

"Now the heatwave has arrived, people will likely be out and about more enjoying the summer sun. That's why it's really important to remember that there are some people whose health suffers in hot weather," Dr Thom Waite, a member of the extreme events team at PHE, reminded people as they reached for the sun lotion. 

Meanwhile, at the start of the summer, bookies predicted this year's season would be the hottest on record. 

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