An electric London bus burst into flames on the hottest June day ever recorded. 

Twenty-five firefighters rushed to the bus depot in Westbourne Park in west London last night at around 6.23pm, as a No 23 bus and two electric vehicle charging points were destroyed by a fire. 

Footage shared on social media showed security guards telling people to stay back, as fire crews battled to get the blaze under control. 

A large section of the bus depot later appeared to be in flames, a short distance away from train tracks. 

Smoke billowing from the depot was visible for miles, including from Lord's cricket ground, where England's women were playing against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup. 

Fire crews managed to extinguish the fire in less than an hour and nobody was reported injured. The cause of the fire is now under investigation. 

The blaze happened on the hottest June day ever recorded, with temperatures reaching 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire - surpassing the previous record held for 50 years of 35.6C in Southampton during the legendary 1976 heatwave. 

The London Fire Brigade said in a statement last night: 'Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters responded to a fire at a bus depot on Great Western Road, Westbourne Park.  

'The fire involved a double decker electric bus, which was destroyed by the fire. 

'Two electric vehicle charging points were also destroyed. There are no reports of any injuries. 

'The Brigade was first called about the fire at 6.23pm, and crews had the incident under control by 7.11pm. 

'Firefighters will remain on scene into the evening. Crews from North Kensington and Paddington fire stations attended the scene.

'The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade's Fire Investigation Team.' 

The No 23 bus route travels between Aldwych, near Covent Garden, and Westbourne Park Bus Garage in west London, making stops at Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus, Paddington and Hyde Park Corner.  

The fire comes amid extremely hot and humid temperatures this week, as Britons are sweltering beneath a 'heat dome' engulfing western Europe. 

The weather has led to a rare red weather warning from the Met Office, prompting school closures, travel disruption and even a conference on extreme heat to be cancelled. 

On Wednesday, thousands of schools were closed, trains were cancelled and commuters were warned not to travel 'unless absolutely necessary' amid a rare red heat warning.

A record 36.1C was registered at Gosport in Hampshire, surpassing the previous June high of 35.6C in 1976. In Surrey, West Sussex, London, Dorset and Suffolk temperatures also eclipsed 35C.

It is only the second time the Met Office has issued its most severe red alert for extreme heat – the last was in July 2022, when the UK recorded its highest ever temperature of 40.3C.

Forecasters said there was a small chance Britain could close in on that record today.

Despite widespread school closures, parents were urged to send children in if theirs remained open.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'I know hot weather can be a struggle but teachers are relaxing uniform rules, keeping classrooms cool and avoiding vigorous activity.'

Meanwhile, Southeastern trains warned passengers that they should be 'prepared for a disrupted journey', and Transport for Wales cancelled services over the extreme heat and a shortage of trains.

Elderly people were advised to stay at home between 11am and 3pm during the heatwave.

Caroline Abrahams, at Age UK, stressed that the extreme heat warnings needed to be taken seriously.

The red alert, covering the Midlands down to the south coast, continues until tonight.

The Met Office has also put out a yellow warning for thunderstorms in the South West this evening.