Wednesday became the hottest July day ever in England with temperatures above 36C (97F). Azizah, an Asian elephant at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, did her best to cool down.

Amber Gibbs and her daughter Savannah also used water to refresh themselves in a fountain near Tower Bridge in London.

The hot sun drew crowds to seaside resorts and the beach at Bournemouth in Dorset was packed with sunbathers.

Along the south coast in Brighton the sea was appealing to more sun worshippers - and their inflatable dinosaur friends.

A more sedate form of relaxation appealed to this woman taking a rest by the fountain in Trafalgar Square in London.

Elsewhere in London the rare solanum laciniatum, commonly known as the Kangaroo Apple and native to south-eastern Australia, was thriving in heatwave conditions in Westminster.

Severn Valley Railway fire man Andy Christie needed a squirt of water to cool himself down on the footplate of his steam engine as it pulled into Kidderminster station, Worcestershire.

Sarah Angelinetta from Milton Keynes used an unseasonal method of coping with the heat by throwing herself into winter sports - snowboarding at the town's snowdrome.

Man's best friend needs to fend off the heat too and this canine joined his owner for a swim in the fountain at Battersea Park in London.

Spectators at the final practice day before the Open golf at Hoylake were warned of fire risks caused by the heat - thanks to creative use of the course's scoreboards.

Chef Vered Zaada used the extreme heat to help her with her job by frying an egg on the bonnet of her car in Bournemouth.