A THIRD record-breaking day in a row saw temperatures soar to 31.9C — sending sunseeking Brits flocking to beaches around the country.

The Met Office confirmed it was another scorcher as the top temperature was recorded in Porthmadog in Wales, making Wednesday the hottest day of the year.

It topped yesterday's record of 30.6C, which was also recorded in the Welsh coastal town.

And on Monday 30.1C was recorded in St James's Park in Central London — making that the then-hottest day of 2018.

Elsewhere the mercury hovered around the 30C mark on Wednesday as day-trippers headed out to the seaside to try to cool off.

Regional records are also expected to tumble elsewhere in UK as we beat temperatures in Kingston, Jamaica where it hit 30C.

Met Office meteorologist Sarah Kent told The Sun Online: "Temperatures are still climbing today, so we're also seeing records breaking in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"Scotland's highest temperature this year was 27C on the 29 May — but as we speak, the latest in temperature is in Abbeymore, 28.7C.

"Across in Northern Ireland, the record for 2018 is 27.1C, but in Glenanne we are already seeing temperatures hit 27C — with peak temperatures expected between 4pm and 5pm."

Meanwhile, dozens of families were forced to flee their homes after the blazing heat caused a massive fire to break out on Saddleworth Moor.

The blaze started on Monday and by last night nearby properties were being evacuated as strong winds drove the flames towards residential areas.

Emergency services are advising locals to keep their doors and windows closed, with temperatures set to reach 31C later today.

Public Health England (PHE) has issued a warning saying the extreme heat may pose a risk to the most vulnerable.

And there are fears for swimmers taking to dangerous coastal waters or reservoirs — and for pets being locked inside cars.

In York, police smashed the car window to rescue two dogs from the sweltering conditions inside.

Parts of the UK are hotter than Athens in Greece, and on a par with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Rio in Brazil.

The Met Office's heat-health watch alert is currently at level two, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

The RNLI has urged those heading to the seaside to seek out beaches with a lifeguard.

PHE said the over-65s, young children and those with health conditions are the most vulnerable in hot weather, and encouraged people to look out for each other.

Dr Thomas Waite of PHE said: "It's vitally important that we keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk, and chances are we'll all know someone, if we're all going to stay well this summer.

Homeless people can also be vulnerable if exposed to strong sunshine and heat while sleeping rough, charity Evolve Housing + Support said.

Debra Ives, director of operations, said: "A lot of people sleeping rough don't have the basic items needed to survive on the streets in hot temperatures.

"As a result, we're calling on the public to donate things like sun cream, water, and sun hats, to help those at risk in the coming months.

"People can either offer them directly, or donate them to a shelter or charity."

Temperatures are still set to rise even further, with a possible high of 33C (91.4F) on Thursday, meteorologist Alex Burkill said, soaring above the UK average for this time of year of 17.3C (63.1F).

The fine, hot weather looks set to continue into next month, he added.

"At the moment it looks like that will be the general theme through much of July," he said.

"Generally it looks like it will stay drier and warmer than average."

Network Rail's extreme weather action teams are being activated across the country to monitor "vulnerable locations".

protection to use
Services on the London Waterloo to New Malden line are being subjected to speed restrictions from 11am each day until Friday.

Network Rail said hot weather can cause the steel on rail lines to expand and in some cases buckle (curve), causing travel disruption.

Slower trains exert lower forces on the track, reducing the likelihood of buckling.