SCOTLAND enjoyed its highest ever temperature in June, with 33.2C recorded in Motherwell on June 28.

And the UK as a whole basked in one of its hottest and driest Junes ever, according to provisional figures.

It was the driest June on record in south-east and central southern England, with just six per cent of expected rainfall across counties like Essex and Dorset, the Met Office said.

The sweltering spell has continued into July, with many parts enjoying temperatures around the mid-to-high 20s.

Meanwhile, utility companies have been pumping billions of extra litres of water to try and keep pace with demand, which has risen by as much as 30 per cent, Water UK said.

But there is no risk of drought, as above-average rainfall in the Spring means water levels are in a healthy position, it added.

The heat is an example of “extra volatility” facing food producers, with some arable farmers seeing no recordable rainfall in a key month for their crops, the National Farmers’ Union said.

Across the country, council staff and social workers are making extra calls and visits on the vulnerable and elderly, who are more likely to struggle in the heat, the Local Government Association (LGA) said.