Britain appeared to shatter the record for its hottest day Tuesday, provisionally hitting the highest temperature ever documented in southeast England.

A temperature of 102.4 Fahrenheit was provisionally recorded at Charlwood, Surrey, in southeast England, the Meteorological Office said in a tweet.

"If confirmed this will be the highest temperature ever recorded in the U.K.," it said, adding that temperatures were likely to rise further throughout the day.

Earlier, the Met Office said on its website that the ongoing heat wave was the first time it had forecast temperatures of 104 F. The previous high of 101.6 F was set in Cambridge Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019.

As the United Kingdom grapples with the extreme heat, neighboring France’s southwestern region of Gironde continues to see wildfires spreading to 27,000 acres, forcing thousands to flee their homes. And in Portugal, where wildfires are also raging, more than 650 have died amid soaring temperatures.