The UK is set to see its hottest day on record, with temperatures on Tuesday expected to reach up to 42C (107.6F). The UK recorded a high of 38.7C in 2019. The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning covering much of central, northern, and southeast England.
Network Rail has issued a warning that people should resist traveling on Tuesday through the “red zone” of the Met Office’s weather warning. There will also be only limited services from London Euston, London Marylebone, and the East Midlands Railway. Network Rail said that the forecast temperatures for parts of the network are higher than the design limits for track and overhead line equipment. Scotland and Northern Ireland also saw their warmest days of the year, with temperatures of 31.3C and 31.1C recorded in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, and Derrylin, Co Fermanagh respectively. The extreme warning, indicating a threat to life, is in place in an area stretching between London, Manchester, and York. Temperatures remained in the low and mid-20s overnight, raising the possibility the UK would also see its warmest night on record.
Following the government’s latest emergency Cobra meeting, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said more call handlers had been put in place and additional funding made available for ambulance and 111 services. At least four people are believed to have drowned after attempting to escape the heat in rivers and lakes.
