Extreme weather has started to cause major disruption to the travel network as scores of schools have announced they will close for the next few days with temperatures expected to hit record highs.
A “heat-dome” settling over western Europe could bring temperatures of up to 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to surpass the record for June set in Hampshire in 1976.
A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday.
The temperature could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C which was measured in July 2022.
Overnight, the temperature did not dip below 20C at nine locations across England, recording what the Met Office class as a tropical night.
The hot weather led to thunderstorms and lightning strikes over England during the early hours of Tuesday.
The Met Office said on Tuesday morning that Somerset had “around 18,540 strikes in the past 24 hours”.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) received 400 calls overnight, including two house fires believed to be caused by lightning strikes and flooding of homes.
LFB Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne warned that “the chance of wildfires spreading rapidly is high” during periods of dry and sustained extreme heat.
The fire and rescue service said disposable barbecues pose “a significant fire risk as the heat can be retained for many hours, even after a barbecue has been put out”, and advised people not to take them to parks or other open spaces.
On Monday afternoon, around 25 firefighters were called to extinguish an area of scrubland alight on Innova Way in Enfield, north London.
There has also been severe disruption across London’s transport network during Tuesday morning. On the Elizabeth Line, heavy rain has caused flooding which means there is no service between Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3 and Heathrow Terminal 4, Transport for London said.
There are also severe delays on the Mildmay Line, which is running a reduced service because of the hot weather.
On the national rail network, extreme temperatures are also expected to cause sagging overhead electric wires, buckled rails and lineside fires, with passengers urged against non-essential travel and, if a journey is necessary, to make sure they carry a bottle of water.
Avanti West Coast said it plans to run fewer services than usual between Tuesday and Thursday, and “there’s a risk of further disruption”.
Chiltern Railways has axed more than half its services over those three days “to ensure the safe operation of the railway”.
The operator said: “We strongly advise you to avoid travelling if possible.”
The weather is also expected to cause major inconvenience to parents as schools shut or close early to protect children from the heat.
Children have also been told they can wear PE kit rather than full school uniform, which can involve long trousers and blazers. Some after-school clubs have also been cancelled.
Many schools in Horsham, West Sussex, are closing early on Wednesday and Thursday, with some setting pupils work to do at home.
A Currys spokesperson said the retailer had seen “huge demand for fans and air conditioning units”, with “sales of fans up nearly 3,000% compared with last week, while air conditioning sales were up by 330%”.
Elsewhere, a woman died after suffering a medical emergency on Southbourne beach, near Bournemouth, on Monday, according to Dorset Police.
A force spokesman said that emergency services attended at 2.21pm but the woman was shortly after pronounced dead at the scene.
He said: “Her next of kin is aware and the coroner has been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious.”
A beach hut owner told the Bournemouth Echo that he called 999 after seeing the woman having a “medical emergency” in the sea before being recovered from the water by members of the public.
Another eyewitness told the paper she saw the emergency services arrive and added: “They were doing CPR for ages and ages, for an awfully long time.”
Hampshire County Council has listed 35 schools which will at least partially close because of the heat this week with a further seven in the Southampton area.
A council spokesman said: “While schools are not normally expected to close in hot weather, they are responsible for taking their own operational decisions and have individual risk assessments in relation to weather conditions.”
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