In 2003, the UK experienced a truly unforgettable year of weather, when an unusually hot and dry winter and spring set the stage for a summer like no other as the country buckling under soaring temperatures, with more than 2,000 heat-related deaths as fires raged, roads melted, rail tracks warped, and crops suffered. Yet, for many, it was a summer of excitement, filled with alfresco dining, endless sunbathing and sizzling barbecues, as the UK shattered records.