Cooling UK weather brings relief amid heat wave; transportation disruptions continue after fires

Christine Fernando, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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After days of record-breaking heat, forecasters said relief is coming to the United Kingdom as temperatures dip and thunderstorms approach. England faced transportation disruptions Wednesday as the country recovered from heat-fueled fires.

Thunderstorms, cooler temperatures to come

Heavy showers with a risk of thunderstorms were forecast for parts of England on Wednesday, and largely dry but cooler weather was expected elsewhere in the U.K., according to the Meteorological Office.

"Thundery showers" may cause transportation disruptions Wednesday in central and eastern England, Met Office meteorologist Alex Deakin said in a video forecast as the agency issued a Yellow warning for thunderstorms in the area.

UK HEAT WAVE: UK breaks its record for highest temperature as Europe sizzles in heat wave

Even with the rain and cloudier weather cooling the region, Deakin said, U.K. temperatures will be above average, peaking at 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but "nowhere near as high as yesterday." Tuesday, the U.K. crushed its record for highest temperature, provisionally recording a high of 104.5 degrees Fahrenheit (40.3 Celsius). Temperatures were about 15 degrees Celsius lower Wednesday than the day before, the office said.

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A blaze burns in the village of Wennington, east London, on July 19. The typically temperate nation of England was walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that triggered wildfires.
A blaze burns in the village of Wennington, east London, on July 19. The typically temperate nation of England was walloped by unusually hot, dry weather that triggered wildfires.

Heat-related fires cause transportation disruptions

The London Fire Brigade received 2,600 calls Tuesday and battled 12 fires at once, making the day the busiest since World War II, Mayor Sadiq Khan said. At least 41 properties were destroyed, and 16 firefighters were treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries.

Wennington, a village on the eastern outskirts of London, was among the hardest hit by the flames. As rows of houses were destroyed by the fire, resident Tim Stock said he and his wife fled.

“It was like a war zone,” he said. “Down the actual main road, all the windows had exploded out, all the roofs had caved, it was like a scene from the Blitz.”

The main train line from London to Edinburgh remained closed for part of Wednesday after a fire damaged signaling equipment, according to the London North Eastern Railway. There were  reports of damage to tracks and overhead lines across U.K. networks, the railway said.

London's Luton Airport was briefly shut down because of heat damage to the runway. Trains ran at reduced speeds out of concern that the heat could warp railways.

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Even as temperatures cooled Wednesday, Khan told the BBC the threat of fire remains high after scorching weather in the days before dried out grasslands surrounding London.

"Once it catches fire, it spreads incredibly fast, like wildfires like you see in movies or in fires in California or in parts of France," Khan told the BBC.

A resident compared the fire in Wennington, east London, on July 19 to a "war zone."
A resident compared the fire in Wennington, east London, on July 19 to a "war zone."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: UK weather: Cooling temperatures, thunderstorms, fire threat