A girl cools off in the fountains near Tower Bridge during the heatwave David Parry

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IT WAS good while it lasted. But forecasters have, predictably as the weekend arrives, signalled the end of the London's hottest spell in years.

The capital and swathes of the UK remained in the grip of the blistering heat yesterday but today is a different story after heavy rain fell throughout the night and temperatures dropped.

But the end of the hottest heatwave since 2006 will come as welcome relief to many after the sweltering highs of 32 and 33C over the past few days left commuters baking on the Underground and sparked an increase in emergency calls to the health services.

During the hot spell ambulance crews have treated large numbers of patients for breathing problems, chest pains, loss of consciousness and fainting.

And there was a grim reminder that animals are vulnerable to the heat, after two German shepherd police dogs died when they were left in a car outside Nottinghamshire's force headquarters in Arnold.

Trafalgar Square's fountains were shut down after soaring temperatures caused the growth of algae.

A Greater London Authority spokesman said the chlorinating unit in the fountains broke down in the heat and the capital's hot weather created the conditions for the algae to grow.

However, tonight there is a small risk of a light shower, before the weather becomes more unsettled tomorrow.

Victoria Kettley, forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, said temperatures would drop over the weekend to about 21C by Monday.

"The temperatures are likely to drop slightly from herein. The hot spell is over for now"

"The temperatures are likely to drop slightly from herein. The hot spell is over for now."

In contrast, the North East was hit by minor flooding.

An Environment Agency spokesman said: "There was some very localised flash flooding, mainly in agricultural areas, last night in the North East and we've heard some reports of some flash flooding in Durham. However, the worst of that seems to have passed now."

Forecasters have already raised the heatwave warning alert level from two to three.

The heatwave plan alert is in four stages, with green level one signalling "summer preparedness and long-term planning".

Level two is amber and signals "alert and readiness", while three is red for "heatwave action". Level four is classed as "red emergency".

Wayne Elliott, head of health forecasting at the Met Office, said: "There are four key things to try and remember during a heatwave.

"If possible, stay out of the heat during the middle part of the day, cool yourself down, keep your environment cool and look out for others, especially older people, those living alone, babies and young children."

As people attempted to cope with the heat, department store chain Debenhams said demand for children's sun hats has soared, with enough sold in June to shade every child who visited Legoland on the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Figures also suggested that men are ditching suits and shirts for more casual clothes to stay cool in the office, with sales of casual shorts up 204 per cent week on week.

Demand for the store's light three-tog duvets has likewise undergone a dramatic increase, with average weekly sales more than doubling in June compared with the previous month.

Sales of self-tanning products also rose, up 16 per cent week on week, suggesting consumers are more aware about the long-term effects of sun damage.

But in Kuwait British troops were dealing with temperatures far higher than those in the UK. The mercury there rose to a peak of 47C, making it one of the hottest spots on the planet.