A restaurant has caught fire as the country experiences record-breaking temperatures.

Firefighters have been battling a blaze at a property in Green Lanes in Palmers Green which broke out this morning.

The London Fire Brigade said ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters are in attendance with 999 calls coming in at 9.22am (July 19).

The whole of a single storey mid-terraced restaurant is on fire, the brigade said, with crews working in “incredibly challenging hot conditions”.

People near the scene have reported the building on fire is the Turkish restaurant called Aksular.

One woman left the building before crews arrived. She has been taken to hospital.

Station Commander Sami Goldbrom, who is at the scene, said: "The fire started in the restaurant's ducting and has spread.

"Crews are making steady progress in tackling the fire. Conditions are incredibly challenging due to the hot weather and firefighters are likely to be on scene for some time.

"Green Lanes is closed between Broomfield Lane and Fox Lane.

"We have got two aerial ladders on scene assisting crews."

Crews remain on the scene as of 6pm, with half of the roof still on fire. Firefighters are likely to be there into the evening.

Fire crews from Southgate, Hornsey, Finchley and Tottenham fire stations have been at the scene.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Enfield Southgate Labour MP Bambos Charalambous tweeted: Thank you to @LondonFire and emergency services staff for their response to today’s fire on Green Lanes, which I know is causing severe disruption and concern in Palmers Green.

"During this extreme weather, our emergency services are doing incredible work to keep us all safe."

Temperatures have reached 40C for the first time on record in the UK, with 40.2C provisionally recorded at London Heathrow, the Met Office said.

The threshold was hit at 12.50pm as much of the UK sweltered in a heatwave, with parts of England and Wales under a red warning for extreme heat, posing a danger to life, pressure on the NHS and disruption across transport networks.