As temperatures soar to record levels health advice has been issued to young and old across the borough.

The heatwave has caused disruption to schools with eight nursery and primary schools and three secondary schools being closed.

Wednesday became the hottest July day in England in history with a recorded temperature of 36.3c and the Met Office issued a level three heatwave warning for England and Wales.

Heather Sullivan, headteacher of Alexandra Junior school in Hounslow, took the decision to shut the school on Wednesday. Portable air conditioning units have already been installed in many classrooms and the Denbigh Road school has been taking precautions such as children wearing hats and drinking water .

But classrooms without air conditioning were reaching temperatures of over 30C.

Mrs Sullivan said: "Wednesday was especially hot. With 360 bodies in the school as the day gets hotter and the children get hotter, we were concerned about keeping the children cool with the temperatures the classrooms could have got to.

"The biggest problem was going to be lunchtime. There is quite a lot of shade but nonetheless, no parent wants their child standing around outside when it is very, very hot and there's no movement of air.

"Bearing that in mind, we felt when we made a risk assessment that it would be safer to say in advance rather than get half way through the day."

The children returned to their classrooms yesterday but special arrangements are still in place to keep them cool and safe.

Mrs Sullivan added: "We spend a lot of time looking after the children.

"Our community was absolutely excellent. They all rally round when there is a problem like that."

Heatwave guidance has also been distributed to the managers of Hounslow Council's care homes and day centres in line with information from the Department of Health and the Met Office.

A council spokesman said: "This is common sense advice about keeping residents, clients and staff cool and hydrated."

Animals down at Hounslow Urban Farm are also being well looked after, with plenty of water and shade as well as fly spray.

Mary Wilks, manager of the Faggs Road farm, said: "Water bottles are being put in the freezer to turn them into ice. We place them in the pens with the rabbits so they can lie up against the ice to keep them cool."

At the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew on Wednesday the thermometer reached a mercury busting 35.3c, the highest it has ever reached in July.

On Tuesday the temperature inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory had reached 39.6c but the highest reading ever at Kew Gardens, which was recorded on August 10, 2003, was not exceeded.