A new record was set for the hottest start to any May on record on Thursday, with temperatures reaching 29.3C (84.7F) in London.

That high, which was recorded at Kew Gardens, beat the previous record of 27.4C (81.3F), which was set in Lossiemouth, Scotland, in 1990, the Met Office said.

Much of the UK basked in heat well above the average for the time of year, though conditions were cooler in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The spell of hot weather was triggered by an area of high pressure which had become blocked over the UK, leading to a sustained south-easterly air flow bringing warm conditions.

• LIVE: Temperatures soar across England - follow live

Thursday was also the hottest day of the year so far, beating the previous high of 26.7C recorded in Wisley, Surrey earlier this week.

Temperatures in London soared above several European cities, including Athens and Rome.

The capital was also hotter than Cairo (27C), Marrakesh (27C) and Los Angeles (21C).

While not expected to hit the same sort of peaks as Thursday, temperatures are on course to remain high for many on Friday.

However, conditions are forecast to return to closer to seasonal averages across the Bank Holiday weekend.

Temperatures are expected to reach the low twenties in the south of England, with highs only reaching the mid-teens further north and in Scotland.

What is fuelling this sunny spell?

When we see heat records challenged in the UK, there is often an influence of air coming from Iberia or north Africa involved.

This is not the case this week - instead, we have seen a large area of high pressure sitting across the UK.

High pressure is essentially a huge zone in the atmosphere where air is actually descending towards the ground and warming as it travels towards us, which has been happening cumulatively over a number of days.

There are a number of other factors at play which have contributed to this record-setting day.

The area of high pressure has also come with clear and sunny skies, which helps to warm the ground.

A lack of rain has left the ground very dry, meaning it can warm more quickly.

To break that cycle of warming, the UK will need either strong winds, a change in wind direction or the arrival of cloud and rain.

While it looks set to remain dry for the vast majority of the UK across the Bank Holiday weekend, we are expecting to see those wind conditions change, which will push temperatures down.

British vets could face price caps on medicines, prescriptions and other services like cremations, the regulator has indicated, as it outlined changes it is considering to the way the UK's £2bn veterinary sector operates.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating the sector, looking at whether a lack of competition in the sector has contributed to soaring prices.

Prices for treatments grew by 60% between 2015 and 2023, compared with inflation of 35% for other general services, according to CMA research.

The regulator is also pushing for more transparency as part of the overhaul due to be finalised in the coming months.

In addition to the price caps, the CMA is looking into a ban on bonuses linked to offering specific treatments.

It said on Thursday that it would look into a ban on any policies that would curtail vets' "clinical freedom". Some vets had reported feeling under pressure to meet targets in relation to the treatments they sell.

It found that businesses were marking up medicine prices, sometimes by as much as four times the purchase cost.

The watchdog also found there was a lack of transparency around the cost of treatments and what choices were available.

In a list of potential remedies, the CMA said vets could be forced to create a clear online display of prices for medicines, surgeries, treatments and out-of-hours help. The working paper also suggested that the mark-up charged on pet cremations, sold to customers at a "vulnerable moment", might be capped.

The watchdog has also suggested a comparison website making it compulsory for clinics to inform owners if cheaper options are available.

The CMA expects to release a provisional report on what measures it will take in the summer months, with a final decision by November.

The CMA said basic local vet services are worth £2bn-£2.5bn a year, but when other aspects such as cremation, specialist treatments and medicines are taken into account, the overall value of the industry is estimated at £5.7bn a year.

The competition body highlighted how the sector was increasingly being dominated by larger firms and how this might be reducing consumer choice.

There are about 5,000 vet practices in the UK, it said, but since 2013, approximately 1,500 of these have been acquired by six large corporate groups.

They are CVS, Independent Vetcare Ltd, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners.

Four of these six tend to retain the name and branding of an independently-owned practice when they buy it, which the CMA said may create an "illusion of competition" for consumers if they are trying to shop around to find alternative practices.