TEMPERATURES continued to soar today with experts' eyes focused on their thermometers to check if any records had been smashed.Britain's heatwave was expected to peak with temperatures rising as high as 35C (95F).

TEMPERATURES continued to soar today with experts' eyes focused on their thermometers to check if any records had been smashed.

Britain's heatwave was expected to peak with temperatures rising as high as 35C (95F).

It was even a possibility that the temperature could beat the existing all-time recorded high of 37.1C (99F).

But all those missing out on the holiday atmosphere at work can take heart as the scorching weather is expected to last over the weekend.

Yesterday the mercury levels soared to the year's warmest day so far, with 34.8C (95F) in Jersey, beating July 15's high of 33.6C (91F) at Wisley in Surrey.

The sizzling temperatures have seen sun-lovers flock to the country's beaches but for commuters the rail misery that has accompanied the heatwave looks set to continue with train speed restrictions remaining in place.

The forecast early this morning was for very hot sunny spells but breezy in the east and misty on the south and west coasts.

One strange side effect of the heat was experienced by radio listeners. Radio Suffolk reached a new audience as people as far afield as Doncaster and Kettering could pick up the signal due to the great atmospheric conditions for radio waves.