The UK could have its hottest day on record this week, with temperatures forecast to hit up to 41C (106F).
The Met Office has issued a red extreme heat warning on Monday and Tuesday in much of England, from London and the south-east up to York and Manchester.
The current highest temperature in the UK is 38.7C, in Cambridge in 2019.
High temperatures are also forecast across the UK – with amber warnings in the rest of England, all of Wales, and parts of Scotland. London is set to be one of the hottest places in the world on Monday, with temperatures soaring above Western Sahara and the Caribbean.
Jake Kelly from Network Rail explained precautions are being taken to mitigate the impact of the extreme temperatures, but the heat would place railway infrastructure under “exceptional stress”. LNER will not run services between London and Leeds and York for much of Tuesday.
Heatwaves have become more frequent, more intense, and last longer because of human-induced climate change – nine of the hottest days on record in the UK have happened since 1990. The world has already warmed by about 1.1C since the industrial era began and temperatures will keep rising unless governments around the world make steep cuts to emissions.
