Records were broken, pensioners received free cooling fans and some school children only had to attend in the morning as the temperature rose in the borough this week.

As the sun shone brightly and strongly for day after day the thermometer reached a mercury busting 35.3 degrees Celsius, 95.5 degree Fahrenheit, at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew on Wednesday, the highest it has ever reached in July.

On Tuesday inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory, the temperature had reached a sweltering 39.6 degree Celsius, 103.3 degrees Fahrenheit, but the highest reading ever at Kew Gardens, which was recorded on August 10 2003, the hottest day in Britain since records were kept, was not exceeded.

The heat was enough for a couple of young students to cool off in the sprinkler on Richmond Green while Christ's School has been running half days throughout the week.

Richard Burke, headteacher of the school on Queen's Road, Richmond, told the Richmond and Twickenham Times he, and the school governors, had decided to run short days because of the weather.

He said that on Monday the school decided to run a three-hour days on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday because of the forecast, the school is also closing early today (Friday) for the summer break.

Mr Burke said: "I think it is important that we finish the year in the right frame of mind, I am confident this is the right decision, we don't have the right conditions to learn.

"I want the staff and students to have quality lessons for three hours a day and at the end of that we tell them they can stay at school if they want but with the heat at its strongest we tell them they can go "The kids respect the decision and the vast majority of parents do too. We would accept anyone who needed to stay but everyone else has said we are right, they are tired, it's too hot and they won't learn effectively. This way they get three quality lessons. It is the last week of term and I think everyone has worked extremely hard. The SATs results are up, which is an indication of this.

"If they are to be subjected to the temperatures that we all are it is not conducive to a valuable learning experience. I don't think it would provide a valuable educational experience to keep them here.

"I am doing what I think is right."

A spokesperson for Richmond upon Thames Council said: "Our health and safety unit has issued detailed, practical advise to schools on how to cope with the heatwave.

"This includes suggestions on being flexible with uniforms and ensuring physical activity is carefully planned. Advice is also given on how to spot the symptoms of heat stroke and what action to take."

The council, which doesn't keep records for the highest temperatures in Richmond upon Thames, has also been considering the health and safety of some of its oldest residents but has not had to deal with any road repairs caused by the heat, which caused the streets of Birmingham to melt earlier this week.

The council's emergency planners have been meeting with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) and voluntary groups in recent months to plan for such an eventuality and, along with the PCT, have been visiting residents who are over 75 and who need looking after to check on them.

"In the most serious cases we have provided them with a fan to keep them cool," said a council spokesperson.

"We are asking for people to be good neighbours. If you know someone, particularly if they are over 75, who is not in the best of health or who doesn't have friends and family who can check up on them we are asking if residents can check their property is well ventilated and they have plenty of drinks.

"We have been visiting the elderly people we are aware of but there are people in the borough who are vulnerable in this type of heat."

l See Editor's Comment page 8.