A nuclear power plant in Connecticut on the east coast of the United States had to be shut down on Sunday after the seawater it used to cool down became too hot in the scorching weather, it was reported.

America has been experiencing soaring temperatures this summer with the hottest July on record causing problems for farmers and small businesses.

US operator Dominion Power was forced to shut down a unit of the Millstone Power Station when the water in Long Island Sound, a stretch of seawater (pictured), became hotter than 75 degrees Fahrenheit – the cut off temperature for water to be used in the cooling process.

A spokesman for Dominion told AP yesterday even using an average temperature hadn’t been enough to avoid shutting down the plant’s unit, which generates more than 2,000 megawatts, which could power 500,000 homes.