UK weather: Britons urged not to travel on trains as 39C is forecast today

Forecasters now believe there is a 70% chance that somewhere in England will smash the record for the hottest-ever UK temperature.

By Connor Sephton, news reporter

Image: Thursday could see the hottest-ever temperature recorded in the UK

The UK is bracing itself for the peak of a sweltering heatwave - and temperatures could reach 39C (102.2F) today.
Forecasters now believe there is a 70% chance that somewhere in southern or eastern England will smash the record for the hottest UK temperature.

The current record of 38.5C (101.3F) was set in Faversham, Kent, back in August 2003.

It's going to get very hot on Thursday, with potentially record-breaking temperatures.

You can see the heat building over the southeast of England in our 4cast, but there's a chance the cloud may come in earlier and stop temperatures getting that high 👇 pic.twitter.com/1MDoOCpNla

— Met Office (@metoffice) 24 July 2019

According to the Met Office, temperatures of 40C (104F) would be "unprecedented" for the British climate.
After yet another uncomfortable night's sleep for many, there's also the possibility of a new record for the UK's hottest overnight temperature.

The current record of 23.3C (79.4F) was set in St James's Park all the way back in July 1948.

Image: A yellow warning for thunderstorms is in place from 3pm today until 4am on Friday. Pic: Met Office

A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms is in place across large parts of England and Scotland from 3pm today until 4am on Friday.

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Network Rail has warned speed restrictions may be introduced in areas where tracks are at risk of buckling.
The extreme heat has also prompted London North Eastern Railway to advise customers against travelling altogether, with the East Coast Main Line operator warning that delays and cancellations were likely between Peterborough and London Kings Cross.

 

Thunder and lightning captured around UK

Network Rail's Nick King said: "Keeping passengers safe and moving are our top priorities during this heatwave.
"That's why we sometimes have to put speed restrictions on to prevent our rails - that can be over 20 degrees hotter than air temperatures - from buckling, which can derail a train and cause huge delays."
Indeed, some services have already been disrupted. Yesterday, hundreds of Eurostar passengers were rescued after they were stuck for hours in sweltering heat when their train broke down in a tunnel following a power failure.

Image: The rail firm has confirmed people were stuck for three hours. Pic: @meliss_houghton

On Wednesday, temperatures reached highs of 33.7C (92.6F) in Cavendish, Suffolk and 33.5C (92.3F) in Writtle, Essex.
Some Britons have opted to cool off in lakes, rivers and the sea, but the dangers of swimming in open water were highlighted when the bodies of three people were recovered after they got into difficulty.
Scotland Yard says a search is ongoing for someone who was last seen in the River Thames near Waterloo.

Image: Many Britons have been cooling off in the sea, like here in Scarborough

Inspector Stuart Simpson, from the Metropolitan Police, said: "Whilst at times the Thames may look appealing, especially in this hot weather, it remains very dangerous all year round.
"On initial entry, the water can seem warm on the surface, but further in it can be freezing cold and there are often very strong undercurrents.
"The initial shock of the cold water is often what leads to people going subsurface and subsequently drowning."

A Met Office study into last summer's heatwave showed that it was 30 times more likely to occur now than in 1750 because of the higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Although heatwaves are regarded as extreme weather events, research shows they are likely to become more common as a result of climate change - perhaps occurring as regularly as every other year.
Temperatures are expected to cool substantially by the weekend, with highs of 26C (78.8F) forecast in London at midday on Friday - 13C less than Thursday's peak.