The 96-year-old Senator Thurmond, who represents the southern state, complained of dizziness during the afternoon and was taken to nearby Palmetto Baptist Medical Center in Columbia.

He was discharged two hours later saying he felt good although correspondents said he appeared unsteady on his feet.

'Great mood'

Strom Thurmond: Fell victim to the heat

Hospital spokeswoman Mary Anne Banich said Senator Thurmond had probably just become overheated in temperatures peaking at around 35C (95 F).

"He was in a great mood, shaking hands with everybody," she said.

State Senator John Courson, a close friend, said the ageing Senator still planned to attend a wedding on Saturday in the historic town of Charleston.

Beautiful women

Senator Thurmond came to prominence most recently acting as Senate President Pro Tempore in the opening of impeachment proceedings against President Clinton earlier this year.

He first took his seat in the senate in 1954 as a Democrat but 10 years later switched to the Republicans when presidential nominee Barry Goldwater led a conservative revival in the party.