Britain’s searing heatwave could bring its most intense conditions yet with forecasted highs of 98.6F (37C) today, accompanied by looming thunderstorms that could sweep across the country bringing hail and floods.
Motorists are warned ahead of lightning, flash flooding and large hailstones that could hit eastern parts on Friday afternoon, with a thunderstorm warning in place for the afternoon until just before midnight.
Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s for much of east and south east England, reaching 37C in London, and could rise higher still if there is a lot of sunshine, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said.
Britain’s searing heatwave could bring its most intense conditions yet with forecasted highs of 98.6F (37C) accompanied by looming thunderstorms that could sweep across the country bringing hail and floods
Motorists are warned ahead of lightning, flash flooding and large hailstones that could hit eastern parts on Friday afternoon, with a thunderstorm warning in place for the afternoon until just before midnight
Temperatures are forecast to be in the mid-30s for much of east and south east England, reaching 37C in London, and could rise higher still if there is a lot of sunshine, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said
Red moon rising: A total lunar eclipse will be visible from almost all parts of the world tonight
Children play next to a fountain as the six-week school summer holiday period gets under way across the country
A woman leaps into the pond to cool off as Britain has been in the grip of its longest heatwave in decades, sparking wildfires in northwest England
Cannonball! A sunbather leaps into the water as he friends watch on and wait their turn
There is a chance the all-time UK record of 101.3F (38.5C) could be broken, with the hot weather set to continue into August
There is a chance the all-time UK record of 101.3F (38.5C) could be broken, with the hot weather set to continue into August.
Mr Deakin said: ‘The reason there’s some uncertainty is because of the thunderstorms, how many we see and where they get going … torrential rain, the risk of local flooding, large hailstones potentially damaging, lots of flashes of lighting and rumbles of thunder.
‘Roads like the M11, M18, M1 and A1 won’t be very pleasant, a lot of spray and surface water around.’
Thursday saw the hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures of 95F (35C) recorded at Heathrow.
Children play next to a fountain in Battersea Park, at temperatures top 78F for the 41st day in a row
Sunbathers relax on Hampstead Heath in London. The scorching weather has brought a maximum reading of at least 78F (26C) for 31 days in a row up to and including yesterday
Cool off: Dozens of youngsters play near water fountains in Battersea amid soaring temperatures and humidity
A bather leaps into the water at the mixed-pond on Hampstead Heath
A mix of toxic air, extreme highs, emissions from the continent and a lack of cloud cover caused a ‘high’ air pollution alert to be issued for London.
Meanwhile authorities said the heatwave was causing ‘winter conditions’ in parts of the NHS, while many nurses were said to be dizzy and exhausted.
Fire brigades also called for a ban on BBQs in parks and drivers were urged not to throw rubbish following a string of grassland fires in recent weeks.
And passengers on the Eurotunnel endured five-hour delays as air conditioned units failed while commuters on London’s Underground travelled in temperatures above the legal limit for transporting livestock.
People sunbathing at the mixed bathing pond on Hampstead Heath
Britain has been in the grip of its longest heatwave in decades forcing dozens of sunbathers to take a dip in Hampstead Ponds
Young men go tomb-stoning yesterday from the sea wall near the Square Tower in Southsea, Hampshire
Men sit in the water in one of the fountains at Trafalgar Square in London in an effort to stay cool yesterday
Elsewhere the musician James Arthur cancelled an open air show in Scarborough because of lightning strikes in the area, promoters said.
Going into Friday night more showers will come into parts of Wales, south west England and northern Ireland in a sign of things to come for the weekend, Mr Deakin added.
Most places will see temperatures closer to average for the time of year, around the high teens to low 20s, with the chance of showers and strong breezes, Mr Deakin said.
Some areas will see a more than 10C drop between Friday and Saturday, he added.
People enjoy the beach at Loch Morlich near Aviemore in Scotland yesterday as Britain makes the most of the warm temperatures
A child runs into the water at Brighton yesterday (left), while a jogger goes for a run despite the heat at London’s Hyde Park (right)
Peope enjoy the hot weather at the St Agnes beach in Cornwall yesterday as temperatures soar across the country
He went on: ‘Weather fronts are trying to come in from the Atlantic and eventually they will do so.
‘And that has the impact of ousting the really hot and humid air .. it turns runs cooler for the weekend, fresher, more comfortable at night…’
Scientists have warned that climate change is making such heat extremes more likely, and the report comes as northern Europe swelters in a prolonged heatwave.
Yesterday, suffering commuters were forced to endure sweltering rush hour conditions after rail bosses axed forty services amid fears the tracks would buckle from the heat.
Angry commuters slammed Greater Anglia for the disruptions, after the rail service took precautions in light of the soaring 95F temperatures posing a risk to health and safety.
Commuters struggle in stuffy Tube trains on the Central line this morning as London is hit by further soaring temperatures
Commuters struggle on hot trains on the London Underground’s Central line yesterday as the capital is hit by hot temperatures
Commuter Brian Donovan is soaking with sweat at Clapham Junction train station in South London this morning
A commuter swelters in the heat on a South Western Railway service this morning as the heatwave tightens its grip on Britain
Tim Brown tweeted this photograph of a packed Greater Anglia train this morning, saying: ‘Even the driver was embarrassed. Third time this week multiple missing carriages. Where does my £4,000 a year go?’
Passengers feel the heat on the London Underground this morning, on the Picadilly line (left) and Central line (right)
Twitter user MagicLaura joked that the Greater Anglia overcrowding was ‘exactly what I needed this morning’
The scorching weather – which has brought a maximum reading of at least 78F (26C) for 31 days in a row up to and including yesterday – could also force councils to step up bin collections as they battle a rodent problem.
Rat expert Prof Steve Belmain, a professor of ecology at the University of Greenwich, told the Sun: ‘The heat is increasing the rodents’ activity.
‘They can reproduce once a month – and transmit over 60 diseases.’
Residents in Wigan, Salford and Brighton have complained to councils about the rats – with Edinburgh and Devon said to have seen an explosion in rodents, who are gnawing on food rubbish warmed by weeks of sunshine.
On the Tube yesterday, Federica Bison, 24, who was on a Central line train at Queensway in West London, told theEvening Standard: ‘When I first got on it felt like I could barely breathe.’
Anita Springer, 38, added: ‘It’s appalling. We pay a lot of money for our tickets and are squashed on like sardines. I didn’t sleep last night because if the heat and then it’s a hellhole train first thing. What a nightmare.’
The Met Office posted this graphic, showing how temperatures in the UK are higher than anywhere else in Europe yesterday
The Met Office has issued thunderstorm warnings for 2pm to 9pm yesterday (left), and 2pm to midnight today (right)
Surfer, 37, films thousands of JELLYFISH under the sea
This is the moment a surfer filmed thousands of jellyfish lurking under the surface of British seas.
Dave West captured the footage when he was paddling out for a surf and felt something brush against his hand.
He could not see anything but could feel things under the water, so submerged his GoPro camera to take a closer look.
Dave West captured the footage when he was paddling out for a surf near Newquay and felt something brush against his hand
When he got home and reviewed the footage he was shocked to find there were thousands of jellyfish beneath his feet.
Mr West, 37, said he was surfing at Great Western Beach near Newquay in Cornwall when he made the discovery.
The lorry driver from St Cleer, Cornwall, said: ‘I was paddling out as you do and because of the light reflection they weren’t that visible to begin with. But you could feel them with your hands.
Mr West could not see anything but could feel things under the water, so submerged his GoPro camera to take a closer look
‘With closer inspection you could see one or two, then it became how apparent how many there were.
‘When I played the GoPro back I was still shocked at how many there were, there were thousands – loads of them.
‘I didn’t get stung, but I’m told they give a very mild sting – they are moon jellyfish, but I wouldn’t want to feel it.’