Hot weather hits UK

England is basking in a heatwave, with temperatures tomorrow set to hit 30C (86F) – hotter than Rome, Athens, Lisbon and Istanbul. With Sunday forecast to be the warmest day of the year so far, bookmakers cut the odds of a record-breaking summer as sun seekers flocked to beaches and parks. The heatwave, which is set to continue for most of next week, comes as millions prepare to watch England take on Germany in the World Cup, Murraymania sweeps Wimbledon, and thousands bask in the sun at the usually mud-caked Glastonbury music festival . London and south-east England are expected to experience the warmest weather. Western England and the Midlands will also have hot sunny weather but it will be cloudy in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with a risk of heavy showers and thunderstorms. By midday today, the temperature had reached 26C at Heathrow airport in west London and forecasters predicted it could reach 29C in England, although western areas and Wales were experiencing slightly cooler weather. Ladbrokes cut the odds from 7/2 to 3/1 that the highest ever UK temperature of 38.5C – recorded at Brogdale, near Faversham, Kent, in 2003 – will be beaten this summer. William Hill set odds of 16/1 that the temperature would top 100F (37.8C) at Wimbledon, and 5/1 that the temperature would pass that mark at any time this year. "It looks like we are in for a red hot summer and the 5/1 currently on offer for temperatures to top 100F this year will not last long," a spokesman said. The hottest day of the year so far was on 24 May when the temperature reached 28.8C at Heathrow airport and the Olympic Park in east London. MeteoGroup weather forecaster Steve Ellison said the heatwave was caused by a ridge of high pressure across central and eastern England. "It's looking pretty hot and sunny this weekend, especially across southern areas. The rest of Europe is pretty hot over the weekend too," he said. The weather is good news for sports fans. At Wimbledon today the British No 1 Andy Murray will be battling it out with Gilles Simon in his third-round match. Wimbledon officials expect to sell 1,000 bottles of suncream and 8,615 punnets of strawberries. Spectators are also expected to drink some 19,200 bottles of water, 15,384 glasses of Pimm's, 7,600 pints of draught beer and 1,500 bottles of champagne. The temperature at Glastonbury, so often blighted by rain and mud, should top 25C. So far, medics at the festival have treated 1,185 people, mostly for heat stroke and other sun-related ailments.