Britain recorded its hottest night on record
The UK recorded its relatively warmest night from Monday to Tuesday.
The mercury never dipped below 25C in places, the Met Office said this morning. This surpasses the previous overnight high of 23.9C in Brighton in August 1990.
Updated at 08.18 BST
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London Ambulance Service reported a slight increase in 999 calls for fainting and heat exposure on Monday.
Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London Ambulance Service, told BBC Radio 4 that the service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, slightly less than predicted.
“We’re really hoping that’s because the public have really listened to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it’s really an emergency,” Jordan said.
“People had a very long day yesterday and there were high temperatures overnight and with even higher temperatures today I cannot stress enough that people should continue to do what we asked them yesterday – avoid prolonged sun exposure, keep hydrated , look after more vulnerable friends, family, neighbors and use sunscreen etc.
For tips on how to deal with the temperatures, my colleague Nicola Davies has this guide to keeping cool:
Updated 08.09 BST
The weather service tweeted this graphic to detail what to expect on Tuesday:
The hot weather has prompted health warnings as there is a higher risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, dehydration as well as breathing problems due to high pollution.
People were urged to stay inside during the hottest part of the day – between 11am and 4pm – and wear sunscreen, a hat, stay in the shade and hydrate with water.
A construction worker excavating a road in Manchester’s Northern Quarter wipes sweat from his face. Photo: Joel Goodman/The Guardian
There were warnings about swimming in lakes, rivers and reservoirs after three people died in waters in England and a fourth went missing, believed to have drowned.
There is a higher risk of bushfires, with people asked not to use barbecues or leave litter that could start fires in the countryside – while zoos and wildlife parks were closed to protect animals, staff and visitors .
Water companies are experiencing “unprecedented peak demand”, with people being encouraged to “think carefully” about their water use and urged not to waste it.
The UK Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, was on Sky News this morning to say that rail and road problems will continue for decades during extreme heat.
Asked how long it would take to upgrade the existing rail infrastructure to be more sustainable, Shapps said: “Decades actually to replace everything. It is the same with the asphalt on the roads.
“There’s a long process of replacing it and upgrading it to withstand temperatures, either very hot or sometimes much colder than we’re used to, and those are the effects of global warming.”
He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for Tuesday and the prime minister would instead chair the cabinet.
Boris Johnson was accused on Monday of ‘unsubscribing’, missing an emergency Cobras meeting because of the scorching heat. Instead, he attended the Farnborough Airshow where he gave a strange speech about completing a looping loop and barrel roll in a Typhoon fighter jet.
On Tuesday, Shapps denied that Johnson had been “vetted.” He said, “That’s literally not true, in fact the exact opposite is true.”
Updated at 07.50 BST
An ‘unprecedented’ day ahead as UK temperatures could reach 41C
Good morning and welcome to our extreme weather blog.
The UK is bracing for its hottest day on record on Tuesday as temperatures are forecast to reach 41C.
The mercury is set to climb higher than on Monday – already the hottest day of the year at 38.1C (in Santon Downham, Suffolk), though just short of the UK’s all-time heat record of 38 ,7C. This was put in place in Cambridge in July 2019 but could be breached today.
The Met Office’s Rachel Ayers told PA Media that Tuesday would be “unprecedented”. She said: “Temperatures will be very hot throughout the day before rising to 40C, perhaps even 41C in isolated places across England in the afternoon.
“That would make it the hottest day on record and the first time we’ve seen temperatures of 40C.”
Scotland and Wales could also have their hottest days on record. Holyrood Minister Keith Brown urged people to “consider whether they need to travel and, if they do, make sure they are properly equipped and plan their journey in advance”.
Travel routes will be affected by the heat and National Rail has told customers to only travel if absolutely necessary. The operator said: “There will be delays, cancellations and last minute changes to train services due to the unprecedented record heat these days.”
There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running anywhere north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras or from London King’s Cross or London Moorgate on Tuesday.
Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times would be “severely affected”, with some routes being closed entirely. LNER will not run trains from York South and Leeds South to London King’s Cross.
Southern, South Eastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country.
Transport for London (TfL) said London’s rail network will also run reduced services on Tuesday due to safety restrictions put in place to deal with the heat.
My name is Fran Lowther and I’ll be keeping you up to date with the latest weather news, analysis and tips on how to beat the heat. Please get in touch with any updates from your area. You can email me at fran.lawther@theguardian.com.
Updated at 07.51 BST
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