BOATERS were splashing around in the Cherwell over the weekend to seek much needed relief from the baking hot sun.

But their joy was set to be short lived with storms expected to hit Oxfordshire last night.

Student Sam Adcock, 22, said: “I’ve been enjoying the weather very much.

“Exams have finished and I’ve had quite a few days off so I’ve played frisbee and croquet, and had barbecues.”

Temperatures registered on Sunday at the Met Office’s two stations at Benson and Brize Norton hit 27.7C and 27.6C respectively.

At 11.30am yesterday, temperatures in Oxfordshire were topping 28C ( or 82 Fahrenheit) a few degrees short of the hottest place in the UK in Cranwell, Lincolnshire. where the mercury rose to was 30.9C.

But the only glimpse of ‘flaming June’ was set to end with thunderstorms, rain today and a cooler few days ahead according to Met Office spokeswoman Helen Chivers.

She said: “You’ll probably be noticing some high clouds and that heralds rain which is heading your way. You can probably expect showers and maybe thunderstorms.”

The heatwave led to the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, Dogs Trust, calling on owners to take extra care of their four-legged friends.

Chris Laurence, veterinary director of the Dogs Trust, said: “While enjoying fun in the sun, please remember that dogs can suffer from the same problems that humans do including overexposure to the sun, overheating, dehydration, and even sunburn.”