HEATHROW Airport may have been claiming Britain's highest temperature on record with 37.9°C (100.22°F) on Sunday but local amateur meteorologists were claiming that Farnham was even hotter.
The Heathrow reading surpassed the previous record of 37.1°C (98.78°F) measured at Cheltenham in 1990.
Chris Shepheard, a Farnham resident and manager of the Rural Life Centre, recorded a staggering 39.5°C (103.5°F) with equipment set up in his garden.
But it cannot be counted as an official reading, due to the parameters that often affect amateur equipment.
Mr Shepheard claimed it was probably the hottest temperature he has recorded in shaded areas in Farnham.
Despite some businesses floundering in the heat, Southern Electric reported huge increases in demand.
The demand for energy was as high as it would have been on a winter's day as businesses struggle to keep their staff and computers cool.
Employers are cranking up their air conditioning systems or hiring climate control facilities, all of which increase the burden upon the grid.
Households, too, are responsible with increasing numbers purchasing air conditioning units or resorting to electric fans to lower the temperatures.
Southern Electric's director of distribution, John Morea, confirmed: "We know how high temperatures affect the level of demand for electricity, so we're well prepared for the increase in power use."
"However, we wouldn't normally see demand this high until October at the earliest, when people turn up their heating and use more lighting."