A girl showers in the street, dogs are warned to wear boots and, say the experts, it's all due to the North Atlantic oscillations.

It's the heatwave and it's here at last.

The Mediterranean-style temperatures over Bradford, set to last all week, are triggering some hot-headed behaviour.

Yesterday was such a sizzler one girl stripped off and showered solar style - for research purposes.

The chance to slip into a bikini and bathe al fresco was too much for one student at Bradford University where experts were showing off renewable energy sources.

And with the dials reading higher than in Barcelona, the experiment proved a major hit compared to last year when rain threatened it.

Joanne Crowther, from the school of engineering, design and technology, said: "The conditions were perfect for this demonstration.

"Last year it rained but the water was still tepid proving you don't need a lot of sunshine to create energy. It does look quite a contraption but it works. This time people were queuing up to give it a try."

The demonstration was staged as part of the Women In Science and Engineering course attended by 15 to 17-year-old schoolgirls from all over the country.

But with the heat - higher than Gibraltar - came the warnings.

Look after yourselves and your pets was the message from the experts as the temperature gauge looks set to stay around the 80F mark throughout this week.

Dermatologist Andrew Wright, said: "Don't go mad, there are bound to more sunny days this summer."

The skin expert at St Luke's Hospital said the fairest skins would take only ten to 15 minutes to burn - and create potential lasting damage.

He said: "At this time of the year the sun is at its strongest and days like this week can easily catch people out.

"Hazy days are even more dangerous than days of full sunshine and blue skies, as people underestimate the rays."

Vets at the PDSA in Lorne Street, East Bowling, even recommended pet boots, available from vets or pet shops, to help them walk on scorching pavement.

A spokesman said: "Molten tar can get stuck on paws. Walk pets when the temperature is cooler and boots can help."

They also urged pet owners to watch the ears and nose for burning and to regularly change food to stop attracting flies.

Extra water was taken on the journey and extra ventilation provided for the Bradford Industrial Museum's shire horses which were competing at the Great Yorkshire Show in Harrogate today.

Stables manager, Neil Hinchliffe, said: " The heat does affect them. They become lethargic, a bit like me really, but you don't want that when they are competing. The water is crucial."

Experts working with the university's telescope on Tenerife where the temperature was cooler than in Bradford said the heatwave was all due to the North Atlantic oscillations.

John Baruche, said it had been predicted several weeks ago by the Met office when it received widespread publicity - and many didn't believe it.

The telescope team constantly monitor the weather to work out the visibility through their massive lens trained on the stars 8,000 ft up on Mount Teide.

"The weather is affected by the

pressure between the Azores and Greenland, and it is known as North Atlantic oscillations," he said.

"If there is low pressure off Greenland then Europe has lovely weather."

There are no plans for hosepipe bans as yet as Yorkshire Water said stocks were running at 80 per cent - about average for this time of year.

A spokesman said: "We would never say never when it comes to the potential for shortages. Customers can look at our website for useful tips on how to save water at www.yorkshirewater.com"