UK weather news: Heatwave grips Britain as rail services go into meltdown and health alerts issued

Chloe Chaplain27 June 2018

The UK is in the grip of a heatwave that has sparked health alerts and a transport meltdown on the railways.

The mercury soared to 30.7C in parts of the country on Tuesday, beating Monday's high of 30.1C, and is predicted to reach 33C later in the week.

The rising temperatures have sparked health alerts from officials at Public Health England and warnings over the dangers of open water swimming.

Surrey Police issued a warning over the dangers of swimming in open water amid concerns the warmer could encourage people to do so.

Sweltering: Commuters at Waterloo Station after they were delayed by incidents caused by the hot weather
EPA

The force’s warning came after it recovered the body of a man from a lake in Nutfield on Monday.

The temperature has also caused widespread problems for the UK rail and road network.

Scores of services from Waterloo were disrupted for a second successive day on Tuesday after a fire under a train.

South Western Railway services were cancelled or delayed after the incident between Surbiton and Weybridge - with passengers stranded on the train hit over an hour and a half after the incident happened.

Delays: Commuters at Waterloo Station, London
PA

Others were left waiting at the busy London station for trains, with thousands of commuters forced to try and find alternative transport.

Network Rail said its extreme weather action teams are being activated across the country to monitor "vulnerable locations" after services on the London Waterloo to New Malden line were subjected to speed restrictions.

Hot weather can cause the steel on rail lines to expand and in some cases buckle, causing travel disruption.

UK Heatwave - In pictures

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Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service were also forced to remind people that "a stray cigarette, a discarded glass bottle, or a spark from a BBQ can all cause untold devastation", and neighbouring Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue said it dealt with a number of grass and rubbish fires.

In Scotland, stunned shoppers watched on as parts of the pavement began to buckle under the intense heat.

Pavement slabs outside Leith’s Newkirkgate Shopping Centre rose up and formed a ridge after days of exceedingly warm weather.

Warnings: Parts of the UK are hotter than Athens in Greece
PA

Parts of the UK are hotter than Athens in Greece, and on a par with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Rio in Brazil.

The Met Office's heat-health watch alert is currently at level two, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

A health warning was issued by Public Health England which said the extreme heat may pose a risk to the most vulnerable people.

PHE said the over-65s, young children and those with health conditions are the most vulnerable in hot weather, and encouraged people to look out for each other.

Dr Thomas Waite of PHE said: "It's vitally important that we keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk, and chances are we'll all know someone, if we're all going to stay well this summer.

Homeless people can also be vulnerable if exposed to strong sunshine and heat while sleeping rough, charity Evolve Housing + Support said.

Heat: Experts have advised people to take care in the sun
PA

Debra Ives, director of operations, said: "A lot of people sleeping rough don't have the basic items needed to survive on the streets in hot temperatures.

"As a result, we're calling on the public to donate things like sun cream, water, and sun hats, to help those at risk in the coming months.

"People can either offer them directly, or donate them to a shelter or charity."

Summer: Anglers fish on New Brighton beach on the Wirral, Merseyside, as warnings are issued over the dangers of swimming in open water
PA

Temperatures are set to rise, with a possible high of 33C on Thursday, meteorologist Alex Burkill said, soaring above the UK average for this time of year of 17.3C.

The fine, hot weather looks set to continue into next month, he added. "At the moment it looks like that will be the general theme through much of July. Generally it looks like it will stay drier and warmer than average."

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