Premier League players battled stifling conditions on Saturday afternoon as the UK endured its second heatwave in the space of four weeks.
The mercury rose above 30°C at all five 3pm kick-offs, with Arsenal's 4-2 win against Leicester the most scorching of the lot.
As the Gunners sweated their way through their first home game of the season, the Met Office recorded a high of 34°C at the Emirates Stadium.
Elsewhere, Wolves and Fulham had to contend with temperatures of 32°C during their 0-0 draw at Molineux – while the gentlest of coastal breezes was hardly going to have much cooling affect on Southampton and Leeds' 2-2 draw at St Mary's.
Such testing conditions give us a pretty good idea of why this year's World Cup will take place in the winter rather than during the traditional summer slot.
July temperatures regularly top 40°C in Qatar, whose capital Doha was only around 5°C hotter than London today.
Average highs of 'only' 29°C in November and 24°C in December – plus air-conditioned stadiums – ought to make the tournament comfortable enough for players and fans alike, but this weekend might have provided useful practice for those heading out to the Gulf state this winter!
