While Oxfordshire continued to sizzle in the summer heatwave, some places were literally frying.

Temperatures peaked at 30C in Oxford yesterday as the heatwave gripped.

And the bonnet of an Oxford Mail delivery van was hot enough to cook up a tasty snack.

After spreading olive oil on a sizzling bonnet, which had been exposed to the sun for 20 minutes while delivering newspapers across the city, we demonstrated how hot it was by frying up an egg in an instant.

Temperatures in some of the world's hot spots failed to get near our heatwave.

In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the temperature on Copacabana beach reached a paltry 23C in comparison, while in Casablanca, Morocco, and on the holiday island of Bermuda, it was a mere 29C.

But the high temperatures are not predicted to be here for long.

By this evening, the Meterological Office said temperatures would peak at 28C with the arrival of clouds and outbreaks of thunderstorms and lightning.

The Met Office is also warning of flash floods and high winds across much of southern and central England and south Wales today.

The high temperatures experienced by much of the country have already sparked storms and torrential downpours over northern England and much of Wales.

Thursday is expected to see clouds and patchy sunshine and the heat will be a distant memory on Friday when heavy rain is expected.

But more good news is on the way for the rest of the summer, as the Met Office predicted our region will continue to experience high temperatures for the rest of July and August.

From looking at North Atlantic and European land temperatures, the Met Office predicted a hotter than average heatwave. Although the amount of rainfall is uncertain, it is unlikely to solve the region's water shortage.