UK weather news – live: Thunderstorms sweep in after fire destroys homes on 40C day

Thunderstorms were set to sweep across Britain as the warmest day recorded in the country’s history came to a close.

Fires broke out across England and Wales as the UK recorded a temperature above 40C for the first time ever, causing schools to shut down and leaving the transport system in disarray due to the extreme heat.

Major fires damaged property in London, Yorkshire and Kent, as hundreds of firefighters desperately tried to extinguish the blazes amid very dry and stifling conditions. Several fire brigades declared major incidents due to pressure on services.

The UK’s new record breaking temperature, 40.3 C, was recorded today at Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The record before Tuesday stood at 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.

Millions of Britons experienced sweltering temperatures on Monday night, with provisional data suggesting it was the warmest night on record.

Rail users are warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services, while dozens of schools have closed, ahead of warnings of further disruption due to thunderstorms on Wednesday.

Key points

• UK record 40C temperature for first time in history

• ‘Unprecedented’ 22 major wildfires across UK

• Fire services declare major incidents on day of record heat

• UK experiences ‘warmest night on record’ with temperatures hovering around 25C in some places

Residents evacuated due to fire worry their homes are gone

23:10 , Liam James

Residents in Wennington have described the blaze which has destroyed homes as their “worst nightmare”.

Locals were evacuated from their homes in the east London village on Tuesday afternoon as black smoke billowed into the air while flames destroyed buildings and ravaged nearby fields.

A rescue centre for residents was set up at the Premier Inn on New Road.

Riminta Maceikaite, 38 and her son Nikas Janulevicius, 13, said their neighbours’ homes were burned down but as far as they can see from TV aerial shots, their house is still standing.

Ms Maceikaite said they were “very anxious” about their home, adding: “When you look on a camera when it shows you from the sky it just freaks you out.”

Nikas said: “Our house is on the news and it’s the only house that hasn’t been burned so far.

Resident Janet Hickey, 70, who has terminal pancreatic cancer, said she was forced to leave all her cancer drugs behind as they were evacuated.

“I’m terminally ill so it’s not great to lose all that. I’m also an artist and all my paintings are there,” she said.

Her husband Patrick Hickey, 71, added: “We had to leave everything. We’re hoping against hope that our house is still there.”

All 34 places which beat UK temperature record today

22:20 , Liam James

On Tuesday, Britain’s temperature record of 38.7C was smashed at Coningsby in Lincolnshire and 33 other locations across England.

Met Office has released a full list of places, temperatures and the times they exceeded the record:

15.12: Coningsby, Lincolnshire, 40.3 — 12.20: Heathrow, west London, 40.2 — 13.55: St James’s Park, central London, 40.2 — 15.26: Gringley-on-the-Hill, Nottinghamshire, 40.1 — 12.28: Kew Gardens, south west London, 40.1 — 12.39: Northolt, west London, 40 — 13.29: Niab in Cambridge, 39.9 —11.06: Charlwood, Surrey, 39.9 — 14.05: Cranwell, Lincolnshire, 39.9 — 15.30: Scampton, Lincolnshire, 39.9 — 14.37: Wittering, Cambridgeshire, 39.9 — 15.02: Bramham, West Yorkshire, 39.8 — 14.55: Monks Wood, Cambridgeshire, 39.8 — 14.07: Watnall, Nottinghamshire, 39.8 — 13.19: Bushey Park, Teddington, southwest London, 39.6 — 15.08: Topcliffe, North Yorkshire, 39.6 — 13.49: Woburn, Bedfordshire, 39.6 — 14.35: Bedford, Bedfordshire, 39.5 — 15.50: Normanby Hall, North Lincolnshire, 39.4 — 13.59: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, 39.4 — 14.28: Sutton Bonington, Nottinghamshire, 39.4 — 11.17: Wisely, Surrey, 39.3 — 11.39: Chertsey, Surrey, 39.2 — 13.39: Marham, Norfolk, 39.2 — 14.12: Holbeach, Lincolnshire, 39.1 — 14.01: Ryhill, West Yorkshire, 39.1 — 13.15: Writtle, Essex, 39.1 — 12.47: Santon Downham, Suffolk, 39 — 13.08: Wellesbourne, Warwickshire, 39 — 13.55: Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire, 38.9 — 12.20: Iver, Buckinhamshire, 38.9 — 13.04: Coleshill, Warwickshire, 38.8 — 13.24: High Beach, Essex, 38.8 — 14.57: Leeming, North Yorkshire, 38.8

Woman pictured in tears after fire tears through village

21:54 , Liam James

The small village of Wennington on the outskirts of east London was torn apart by fire today.

Pictures from the scene show a woman in tears being comforted as a row of houses was destroyed in the fire.

More than 100 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze in Wennington which spread across several acres of grassland and hit buildings.

Government accused of ‘pure greenwash’ as it launches Jet Zero aviation strategy on hottest day ever recorded

21:36 , Holly Bancroft

Government plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector and meet the 2050 net zero deadline mean people “can fly guilt-free”, ministers have said, claiming future emissions will not rise above pre-pandemic levels.

The “Jet Zero” strategy, launched on Tuesday at Farnborough Air Show, on the hottest day in British history, has been strongly criticised by campaigners who have said measures to reduce the environmental impact of flying do not go far enough.

The plans, announced by the transport secretary Grant Shapps at the airshow, set out how the government says it will aim to reach the “hugely challenging” 2050 net zero target. It includes targets for domestic aviation to reach net zero by 2040, for so-called “sustainable aviation fuel” to account for 10 per cent of jet fuel by 2030, and for the creation of five plants making these fuels – which come from materials such as household waste, sewage, or used cooking oil.

Read the full story from Harry Cockburn here:

Government launches Jet zero aviation strategy on hottest day ever recorded

Recap: Scotland records its hottest day ever

20:43 , Press Association

Scotland has recorded its hottest day ever as temperatures climbed to 34.8C.

The temperature was recorded at Charterhall, in the Scottish Borders, according to provisional Met Office figures, and beat an almost 19-year-old record by 1.9C.

Since August 2003, Greycrook - also in the Scottish Borders - held the temperature record north of the border when it experienced a high of 32.9C.

Mark Wilson, of the Met Office, said Tuesday was “officially the highest temperature recorded in Scotland since records began”.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning - for extreme heat in eastern, southern and central parts of Scotland - which is in force until midnight on Tuesday.

And, at the same time, the forecaster has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms for areas across north-east England and the Borders which is in place until 8pm.

Elsewhere in Scotland Eskdalemuir in Dumfries and Galloway recorded a temperature of 32.3C, while in Threave, Dumfries and Galloway, the thermometer climbed to 31.2C, the Met Office said earlier on Tuesday.

Heatwaves are being made more intense, frequent and longer by climate change, and scientists said it would be “virtually impossible” for the UK to have experienced temperatures reaching 40C without human-driven global warming.

More women ‘could die’ in UK heatwave than men, expert warns

20:25 , Holly Bancroft

More women could die in the UK heatwave than men due to being “more vulnerable” to hot temperatures, an expert has said.

The UK recorded its hottest temperature in history before midday on Tuesday - with temperatures climbing to over 40C (104F).

Mike Tipson, Professor of Human and Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratories, told The Independent women appear to be more at risk in heatwaves for both physiological and sociological reasons.

His comments echo research into heatwaves carried out in the Netherlands which found mortality rates were 15 per cent higher for elderly women than men - with researchers analysing statistics from the 2003 heatwave in France.

Read the full report from Maya Oppenheim here:

More women ‘could die’ in UK heatwave than men, expert warns

Do not have barbeques, London Fire Brigade urges

19:52 , Holly Bancroft

London Fire Brigrade have urged people not to have barbeques as they tackle an unprecedented number of fires across the capital.

Around 15 hectares of grassland and undergrowth is alight on Western Avenue in Uxbridge, the service tweeted. London mayor Sadiq Khan has previously said that the fire service received more than 1600 calls for assistance today.

Heatwave leaves supermarket shelves empty as shoppers race to buy water and ice cream

19:25 , Holly Bancroft

The UK’s heatwave has emptied out supermarket shelves as shoppers snap up water and ice-cream in the scorching weather.

The country has been hit by days of extreme heat, with its hottest-ever temperature - 40.3C - recorded on Tuesday.

And according to images of bare supermarket shelves, it seems like Britons are doing all they can to stay cool in the exceptionally hot weather.

Shoppers have come across empty sections where bottled water normally is during the heatwave, which was forecast to peak on Monday and Tuesday.

A number posted social media, saying they had turned up to supermarkets to find water gone or very little left.

Heatwave leaves supermarket shelves empty as shoppers race to buy water and ice cream

‘Unprecedented’ 22 major wildfires across UK

19:00 , Chris Baynes

National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has recorded 22 major wildfires since 11am this morning and hundreds of smaller vegetation fires, reports The Independent’s climate correspondent Saphora Smith.

The NFCC’s reporting tool only records significant wildfires that meet one or more of its criteria, which includes that it impacts an area bigger than one hectare, has sustained flame lengths of more than 1.5 metres or presents a serious threat to life, environment, property and infrastructure.

Paul Hedley, the lead on wildfires for the council, said the volume of fires today was most likely unprecedented.

Leicester Fire and Rescue Service declares major incident

18:40 , Holly Bancroft

Leicester Fire and Rescue Service has joined the London Fire Brigade in declaring a major incident as fires rage across the UK due to the heatwave.

Jonathan Smith, assistant commissioner of LFB, said earlier today that “we probably haven’t seen weather-related incidents on this scale before” as temperatures tipped over 40C in parts of the capital.

Leicester Fire and Rescue Service also said they were dealing with a grass fire off Bradgate Hill, Groby. They advised people to avoid the area and said that five pumps and a water carrier are at the scene.

New maximum temperature set in Scotland

18:16 , Holly Bancroft

The Met Office have said that a new maximum temperature has been set in Scotland.

Charterhall in the Scottish Borders provisionally set a new maximum temperature record for Scotland on Tuesday, with the temperature rising to 34.8C earlier this afternoon.

This exceeds the previous record of 32.9C recorded in Greycrook on 9th August 2003.

17:59 , Chris Baynes

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has said it is dealing with two major fires, one in Walnut Tree in Milton Keynes and the second in Whitehouse Lane in Wooburn More.

Leicestershire fire service declares major incident

17:51 , Chris Baynes

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has declared a major incident due to the high number of call-outs it is receiving.

The brigade said: “We have declared a major incident due to high demand across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland We will not be attending Automatic Fire alarms. Please only call us if it’s an emergency.”

The service is the second today to declare a major incident, following the London Fire Brigade, which is battling blazes across the capital.

Met Office issue warning over thunderstorms

17:48 , Holly Bancroft

The Met Office have issued a warning about imminent thunderstorms across parts of northern England and southern Scotland.

More pictures emerge of a fire in East London

17:35 , Holly Bancroft

More pictures have emerged of a significant fire in East London. Several buildings have burnt down in Wennington with the fire spreading across the town’s fields. It comes after a huge grass fire broke out in Dartford, Kent.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said twelve fire engines and a height vehicle had been sent to the scene near fire near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green.

Crews are working to extinguish the roaring flames amid the hottest temperatures in Britain’s records. Multiple places including Heathrow airport and Kew Gardens have recorded temperatures of 40C.

Police smash car windows to free dogs trapped inside in record heatwave

17:11 , Holly Bancroft

Police were forced to smash the window of a £25,000 electric car to save a dog trapped inside during the record heatwave.

Officers intervened after a member of the public spotted the trapped pet on Oxendon Street, in central London, on Monday, as temperatures soared past 37C.

The owner of another dog is facing animal cruelty charges after police smashed a car window to rescue it fin Barnet.

John Thompson, 35, spotted the dog in Oxendon Street, Westminister, along with other bystanders in the early evening and caught the moment police arrived to free the animal on camera.

He said: “I was just immediately scared for the dog and thought ‘Come on, it’s the hottest day of the year’.”

Police smash car windows to free dogs trapped inside in record heatwave

At least 29 places in England break all time temperature records

16:59 , Holly Bancroft

At least 29 observation sites across England have provisionally broken the previous all time maximum UK record of 38.7 °C this afternoon, the Met Office have reported.

Temperature records were broken three times in one day in the UK on Tuesday, after temperatures hit 40.3C at Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

Full story: Temperature reachs 40.3C in Lincolnshire

16:55 , Holly Bancroft

Temperature records were broken three times in one day in the UK on Tuesday, after temperatures hit 40.3C at Coningsby, surpassing two other records set just hours earlier.

The Met Office said a provisional temperature of 39.1C had been recorded in Charlwood, Surrey, at 10.40 am on Tuesday only for that record to be broken soon after.

London Heathrow reported a temperature of 40.2C at 12.50pm, followed by 40.3C at Coningsby at 4pm.

The highs exceeded the previous UK record of 38.7 in Cambridge in 2019.

UK temperature tops 40C for first time ever breaking record three times in one day

Breaking: 40.3C record temperature in Coningsby

16:49 , Holly Bancroft

The Met Office have recorded another record temperature of 40.3C in Coningsby, a slight increase on the previous record set in Heathrow today.

Drone photos show huge fire at Welsh beach

16:45 , Joe Middleton

A large fire has broken out above a beach in southwest Wales, as the UK’s unprecedented heatwave sparked warnings of a “very extreme danger” of wildfires.

Drone footage showed flames and smoke billowing from a hill above Newgale beach in Pembrokeshire, where blazes broke out on both Sunday and Monday.

Rou Chater, a 46-year-old surfer who captured the footage, was out on the water when he spotted the fire, which he described as “totally out of control” and “the biggest one the area has seen for some time”.

Andy Gregory reports.

Drone photos show huge fire at Welsh beach as UK temperatures soar

Prince Charles says tackling climate change is 'utterly essential' as heatwave grips UK

16:30 , Joe Middleton

Firefighters tackle outbuilding blaze during record-breaking heatwave

16:09 , Joe Middleton

Firefighters are tackling a blaze in Wembley that erupted during the UK’s record-breaking heatwave.

Around 60 crew members were at the scene on Tuesday afternoon.

Zoe Tidman has the latest on this breaking story.

Firefighters tackle Wembley blaze during record-breaking heatwave

Temperatures are now above 40C at a number of UK areas, say Met Office

15:55 , Joe Middleton

The Met Office said said that temperatures are now “above 40C at a number of UK sites” but that “fresher conditions are now arriving across the far west of the country.”

Avanti West Coast passengers urged not to go to Euston due to suspended services

15:50 , Joe Middleton

Avanti West Coast passengers have been urged not to go to Euston station as all services have been suspended for Tuesday.

A spokesman said: “Due to the extreme heat causing multiple incidents across the network all Avanti West Coast services have now been withdrawn for the rest of today, Tuesday July 19.”

Customers with tickets for Tuesday can use them on Wednesday or Thursday, or claim a refund.

PA

Fire rages in Dartford as searing heatwave hits UK

15:42 , Joe Middleton

London declares major incident due to spate of fires on day of record heat

15:26 , Joe Middleton

London mayor Sadiq Khan has declared a major incident in the capital due to a surge in fire on the hottest day ever recorded in Britain.

London declares major incident due to spate of fires in heatwave

Heatwave pressures on ‘broken’ NHS to continue after temperature drops, top doctors warn

15:15 , Joe Middleton

Heatwave driven pressures on the NHS will grow in the coming days even after the temperature drops, doctors have warned.

Doctors speaking with The Independent have described pressures on A&E as the “worst they’ve ever seen it” warning services are “broken, not breaking, not under strain, broken””

It comes as top medical journals in the UK have warned the government “at no other time in the past 50 years have so many parts of the NHS been so close to ceasing to function effectively.”

Leading doctors for working Equally Well UK, a group of dozens of health organisations focussed on improving physical health of those with mental illness, have warned the heatwave will have a greater risk for people with severe mental illness.

Rebecca Thomas reports.

Heatwave pressures on ‘broken’ NHS to continue after temperature drops, doctors warn

Wildfires break out across England as record heatwave rages

15:10 , Joe Middleton

Multiple fires have broken out across the south of England as an intense heatwave takes over the UK.

Parts of London, Kent and Cornwall have all seen wildfires erupt at as temperatures reach record highs of 40C in parts of the country.

Fire services have urged people to take precautions and discard of rubbish such as cigarettes, matches and glass bottles which can quickly set alight and cause widespread damage.

Flames and large plumes of smoke were seen rising over Shirley Hills in Croydon, south London where the fire brigade were called at around 12.07pm to the blaze on Oaks Road.

Furvah Shah reports.

Wildfires break out across England as record heatwave rages

175 firefighters tackling grass blaze in Upminster

15:00 , Joe Middleton

Thirty fire engines and around 175 firefighters are battling a grass fire on Pea Lane in Upminster.

Footage posted to social media shows smoke billowing into the sky over the M25.

Biden could declare national climate emergency as soon as this week

15:00 , Joe Middleton

Joe Biden could declare a national climate emergency as soon as this week following stalled talks in Congress.

The possible measure comes just days after Senator Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat, told party leaders that he won’t support the Democrats’ attempt to push through an economic package this month, which would include billions to fight global warming.

Mr Biden could invoke the emergency to be able to provide his administration with power to decrease carbon emissions and produce more clean energy.

Gustaf Kilander and Ethan Freedman reports.

Biden could declare national climate emergency as soon as this week

Dartford fire: Houses ablaze in Kent as raging wildfire spreads

14:45 , Joe Middleton

Houses are ablaze after a huge grass fire broke out in Dartford, Kent.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said twelve fire engines and a height vehicle have been sent to the scene near fire near Durrell Dene, in Joyce Green.

Crews are working to extinguish the roaring flames.

People driving on the A2 and nearby roads are advised to take care, due to smoke coming from the incident, which may impact visibility.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain has the latest on this breaking story.

Dartford fire: Houses ablaze in Kent as raging wildfire spreads

Firefighters attend a gorse bush fire near Zennor, Cornwall

14:37 , Joe Middleton

Firefighters are currently at the scene of a gorse bush fire near Zennor, Cornwall.

In a tweet, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: “Critical Control are taking multiple repeat calls for Zennor & Nare Head gorse fires. Crews are in attendance and monitoring the fires.”

Environmental groups urge Tory leadership candidates to prioritise climate crisis

14:21 , Joe Middleton

Environmental groups have warned the Tory leadership candidates they must priortise the climate crisis after the UK recorded a temperature of more than 40C for the first time.

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “As communities across the UK face unprecedented temperatures, the government’s climate strategy was yesterday found to be unlawful and inadequate in the courts.

“Candidates vying for Conservative Party leadership cannot ignore the vital importance of curbing the climate and nature crises.

“We need climate action that goes further, and faster, so that the next generation has a world left to inherit.”

Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, Rebecca Newsom, said: “It’s clear to everyone that urgent action to cut emissions must be taken, but the four Tory candidates are staying conspicuously quiet on the matter.

“This life-threatening heat is just a taster of what’s to come unless the next Prime Minister delivers the concrete policies that will transition the UK away from fossil fuels, cut bills, boost cheap renewables and green our homes.

“Failure to do so won’t just lose the Conservatives votes at the next election - it will threaten the future of our society as we know it.”

Drone footage shows huge gorse fire at Welsh beach as UK temperatures soar

14:15 , Joe Middleton

Government accused of ‘pure greenwash’ as it launches Jet Zero aviation strategy on hottest day ever recorded

14:07 , Joe Middleton

Government plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the aviation sector and meet the 2050 net zero deadline mean people “can fly guilt-free”, ministers have said, claiming future emissions will not rise above pre-pandemic levels.

The “Jet Zero” strategy, launched on Tuesday at Farnborough Air Show, on the hottest day in British history, has been strongly criticised by campaigners who have said measures to reduce the environmental impact of flying do not go far enough.

The plans, announced by the transport secretary Grant Shapps at the airshow, set out how the government says it will aim to reach the “hugely challenging” 2050 net zero target.

It includes targets for domestic aviation to reach net zero by 2040, for so-called “sustainable aviation fuel” to account for 10 per cent of jet fuel by 2030, and for the creation of five plants making these fuels – which come from materials such as household waste, sewage, or used cooking oil.

Harry Cockburn has the details.

Government launches Jet zero aviation strategy on hottest day ever recorded

Temperatures exceeded previous record in ‘many places’ by 1pm, say Met Office

14:02 , Joe Middleton

The Met Office said temperatures in many other places of England had already exceeded the previous record of 38.7C from 2019 by 1pm on Tuesday.

As well as the 40.2C seen at Heathrow, Charlwood in Surrey hit 39.9C, Kew Gardens saw 39.6C and Wisley in Surrey recorded 39.3C.

Chertsey in Surrey and Northolt in west London both saw 39.2C.

Man, 20, dies after being pulled from lake at water park

13:54 , Joe Middleton

A man in his 20s has died following an incident at Cotswold Water Park, Ashton Keynes.

Wiltshire Police said they were called to the scene shortly after 6pm yesterday.

There have been several deaths following open water incidents since the heatwave began in the UK.

Man, 20, dies after being pulled from lake at water park

The latest UK heatwave pictures

13:45 , Joe Middleton

The Tories’ reaction to the heatwave proves they’re utterly divorced from reality

13:30 , Joe Middleton

Berk is defined by the Collins English dictionary as “a stupid person; fool”. Its use has, to me, always implied a degree of ridicule although its origins are really quite offensive (look it up).

That doesn’t make it any less appropriate for Sir John Hayes, who is one of a disturbingly large group of Tory backbenchers who can be relied upon to say stupid and crass things at moments of national crisis, writes James Moore.

Here he is on the subject of the record-breaking heat: “This is not a brave new world but a cowardly new world where we live in a country where we are frightened of the heat. It is not surprising that in snowflake Britain, the snowflakes are melting. Thankfully, most of us are not snowflakes.”

Those not in the confirmed berks club will today, on this second day of living in an oven, be largely listening to the Met Office, to doctors, and other members of the coalition of the sensible. We’ll be doing the responsible thing: staying out of the sun as much as we can and doing our best to keep hydrated and cool. We’ll be checking on older relatives, and otherwise getting on with it.

Opinion: The Tories’ reaction to the heatwave proves they’re divorced from reality

Animals at safari park given ice lollies during heatwave

13:15 , Andy Gregory

Keepers at West Midland Safari Park have been trying to keep their animals cool during the heatwave by treating them to a variety of ice lollies.

Animals have had their favourite foods prepared in ice blocks – such as fruit for the lemurs, insects for the meerkats and blood for the lions.

UK temperature tops 40C for first time ever breaking record twice in one day

13:07 , Joe Middleton

Temperature records were broken twice in one day in the UK on Tuesday, after temperatures hit at 40.2C at London Heathrow surpassing a record set just an hours earlier.

The Met Office said a provisional temperature of 39.1C had been recorded in Charlwood, Surrey at 10.40 am on Tuesday only for that record to be broken soon after.

London Heathrow reported a temperature of 40.2C at 12.50pm.

Both highs recorded on Tuesday exceeded the previous UK record of 38.7 in Cambridge in 2019.

Saphora Smith reports.

UK temperature tops 40C for first time ever breaking record twice in one day

‘Very high’ pollution caused by heatwave could trigger headaches and asthma attacks

13:05 , Andy Gregory

Our climate correspondent Saphora Smith reports:

Scientists have warned that “very high levels” of ozone pollution that can cause headaches and increase the risk of asthma attacks could affect large swathes of Europe as temperatures spike.

The EU-funded Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service has warned that high levels of surface ozone pollution in Southern Europe could now affect northwestern regions in coming days.

In mid-July, surface ozone levels, which peak during the middle of the day, reached “unhealthy levels” in Portugal, Spain and Italy, the service said. Concentrations are now rising across northern and western parts of Europe as temperatures soar and are predicted to peak by Wednesday before easing off.

While a higher ozone layer in what is known as the stratosphere helps protect life on earth, at the earth’s surface, ozone is an air pollutant and greenhouse gas that is one of the main elements of urban smog.

Heatwave could trigger headaches and asthma attacks, warn scientists

Breaking: UK temperatures breach 40C for first time in history

12:59 , Andy Gregory

The UK has provisionally recorded a temperature of above 40C for the first time in history, as the mercury hit 40.2C at London Heathrow.

New weather warning issued as thunderstorms forecast tomorrow

12:53 , Andy Gregory

The Met Office is forecasting thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, and is warning of potential disruption across southern and eastern parts of England.

Issuing a “yellow” alert, in force between 1pm and 9pm, the national forecaster warns:

• Where flooding or lightning strikes occur, there is a chance of delays and some cancellations to train and bus services.

• Spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures.

• There is a slight chance that power cuts could occur and other services to some homes and businesses could be lost.

Police liken warped dual carriageway to ‘skatepark'

12:41 , Andy Gregory

A section of the A14 dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire was left looking like a “skatepark” after it warped in the heatwave on Monday, police said.

The westbound section of the A14 at Bottisham was closed overnight on Monday to Tuesday for emergency carriageway repairs and had reopened by around 7am on Tuesday, National Highways said.

Woman claims to have cooked egg in hot car during heatwave

12:30 , Joe Middleton

Britain’s heatwave is so extreme that a woman was able to fry an egg inside her car.

Jill Hembury placed the egg in a milk pan on the dashboard of her Honda Civic on Monday, as temperatures topped 38C.

The 62-year-old gardener from St Werburgs, Bristol, said: “Walking out of the front door is like walking out of an aeroplane in Spain.

“The egg only took 20 minutes to cook.”

Lauren Beavis reports.

Woman claims to have cooked egg in her car during heatwave

Extinction Rebellion activists smash windows at offices of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK

12:22 , Andy Gregory

Extinction Rebellion protesters have smashed windows at the London Bridge offices of Rupert Murdoch’s News UK company in protest at its coverage of climate breakdown.

Steve Tooze, member of XR and former journalist at the Sun and Daily Mail, was quoted by the SWNS news agency as saying: “These newspapers have spent 30 life-or-death years denying or ignoring the climate crisis to ensure that business-as-usual keeps the money flowing into their already obscenely-bloated bank accounts.

“As a result, millions of us still have no clue about the terrifying dangers that threaten us.”

Boris Johnson calls for ‘balanced’ approach to heatwave

12:16 , Andy Gregory

The experience of the Covid pandemic shows the need to adopt a “balanced” approach to the heatwave, Boris Johnson has told his Cabinet.

Mr Johnson’s official spokesperson told reporters: “The prime minister said that on another scorching sweltering day, it was important to look back at the pandemic where we opened up seeking to balance risk with the need to keep our country, our society and our economy moving.

“He said we should keep schools open and our transport system going as far as we possibly can during these high temperatures and keep our fantastic NHS providing for the people of this country.

“With temperatures setting records for this country, the prime minister said no one could doubt we were right to be the first major economy to go for Net Zero.”

Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse updated the meeting on the impact of the heatwave, saying that public services had “experienced some disruption” but were “generally coping well thanks to the hard work of frontline staff.”

Ask me Anything: Simon Calder to answer your travel questions as Brits told to avoid trains during heatwave

12:05 , Joe Middleton

The mercury is rising - and, with it, the chance that your train will be delayed or cancelled.

On Monday and Tuesday, as temperatures are set to soar and potentially hit 40C in the UK, train operators are reducing services to cope with the heat.

Steel rails are susceptible to buckling under extreme temps; some companies will have to run trains at speeds as low as 20mph (instead of the usual 125mph) for safety reasons.

Meanwhile, passengers across certain parts of the country have been told to only travel by train over the next two days if their journey is strictly necessary, with Transport for London giving the same message to commuters.

So what does it mean for your imminent public transport journeys? And are you still allowed to travel by train?

Our expert Simon Calder will be on hand today, Tuesday 19 July, to answer all your questions in an ‘Ask me anything’ event, between 4-5pm. He will be answering live. Click the link below to get involved.

Simon Calder to answer your travel questions live as heatwave sees trains cancelled

UK weather forecast: Hottest ever temperature recorded reaching 39.1C

11:53 , Joe Middleton

The UK has recorded its hottest temperature ever as an extreme heatwave fuelled by the human-caused climate emergency grips the country.

Temperatures of 39.1C were recorded in Surrey, the highest ever measured in the UK.

The previous record stood at 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden on 25 July 2019.

Saphora Smith reports.

Hottest ever UK temperature recorded reaching 39.1C

It is ‘extraordinarily unusual’ to see temperatures in mid-30s during rush hour, says Met Office

11:44 , Joe Middleton

Met Office meteorologist Annie Shuttleworth said it is “extraordinarily unusual” to see temperatures in the 30s by the morning rush-hour in the UK.

“That’s extraordinarily unusual to see these temperatures in the UK at this time of day,” she said.

She said the high overnight temperatures had led to a very warm start to the day, and added: “We are expecting the temperatures to climb higher than they did yesterday” when temperatures reached 38.1C.

“It’s looking pretty likely a new record is broken today. We’re looking at the maximum temperatures somewhere between 40C-41C, and that’s looking to be across the Lincolnshire and Yorkshire region.”

PA

Firefighters still at the scene of Lickey Hills blaze

11:35 , Joe Middleton

Firefighters are still at the scene of a large fire that broke out at Lickey Hills Country Park, near Birmingham, yesterday afternoon.

Around 4,305 square feet of land was alight and forced more than 15 people from their homes as twelve fire crews from Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands and Shropshire Fire and Rescue Services fought the blaze overnight.

Firefighters are now understood to be “damping down” the area after the fire.

One woman commenting on Twitter yesterday described the blaze as “looking awful from where I am now” and another said “hopefully the fire service can stop it before it spreads”.

Another posted: “Not a sight we want to see when it’s 35degs. Huge fire on the Lickey Hills. Thoughts with all the firefighters and rangers right now.”

Temperatures have already hit 37C, say Met Office

11:25 , Joe Middleton

Temperatures are already hitting 37C in some parts of the UK, the Met Office has confirmed.

By 11am, the highest recorded temperature was 37.3C at Charlwood in Surrey.

Kew Gardens in west London had reached 36.9C, while Heathrow, west of London, and St James’s Park in central London each saw temperatures of 36.6C.

The latest pictures from the UK heatwave

11:16 , Joe Middleton

UK reservoirs bone-dry amid searing heatwave

11:01 , Joe Middleton

Dramatic photos show the transformation of reservoirs in the north of England into Death Valley-esque scenes, as Britain bakes in a heatwave.

The images reveal beds of cracked mud where searing temperatures and huge demand for drinking water have caused much of the lakes to evaporate.

Britons are attempting to cope with temperatures that were forecast to top 40C on Tuesday. Some even went to the lengths of taping foil emergency blankets over their windows.

Pictures show UK reservoirs bone-dry amid searing heatwave

These brave souls have risked the Central Line in the heatwave

10:47 , Joe Middleton

This group of commuters is far braver than I am after being pictured cramming themselves onto the Central Line in London this morning.

The tube line is notorious for being the most sweltering in the capital even in milder temperatures.

‘Very extreme danger of wildfires in UK’ as temperatures set to top 40C

10:35 , Joe Middleton

There is “very extreme danger” of wildfire in parts of the UK, as well as across Europe, a European forecaster has warned.

The European Forest Fire Information System has put out the warning for parts of the UK, Spain, France and Italy - the highest level of risk on the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts’ fire weather index.

Saphora Smith reports.

‘Very extreme danger of wildfires in UK’ as Britain braces for 40C

Heatwave: Forecasters predict worse to come for UK and Ireland

10:25 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson says lessons from Covid-19 will be applied to UK’s heatwave

10:08 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson indicated the lessons from the pandemic would be applied in the heatwave.

He told his final scheduled Cabinet meeting: “On another scorching, sweltering day I think it’s very, very important that we think back to that moment that we opened up (after the lockdown) and try and balance risk with the need to keep our country, our society and our economy moving.

“I hope, Cabinet, that you are all agreed that as far as possible we should keep schools open and keep our transport system going as far as we possibly can.”

The “fantastic NHS” would keep “providing for the people of this country in the way that they need and expect”.

PA

We can’t just ‘keep calm and carry on’ when it comes to the heatwave – here’s what we need to do now

09:43 , Joe Middleton

Phew! What a scorcher! We’re really not ready for this sort of thing, are we? Nor, I would say, should we be.

It’s not healthy to get used to this, in any sense. We need to get it stopped, we need to stop the climate crisis – and we need to be honest that it is going to hurt. Prevention is better than cure, especially when there is no cure, writes Sean O’Grady.

There is some wild talk at the moment about mitigations we could be making to deal with heatwaves like this, which will be certainly more common in the decades to come. On a plausible bad case scenario, such spikes as these may arrive every three years or so; on a more optimistic scenario about every 15 years. What should we do?

We should certainly not shrug and learn to live with it (same goes for Covid, but that’s another story). The present spike will be over by Wednesday, but comparisons with the long dry summer of 1976 (which some of us sunbathed all the way through), are still apt.

We can’t just ‘keep calm and carry on’ when it comes to the heatwave | Sean O’Grady

09:27 , Joe Middleton

The hottest railway track reached a blistering 62C on Monday, Network Rail has revealed.

It tweeted: “Our hottest rail recorded yesterday was 62C, in Suffolk! Rail temperature can be about 20C higher than air temperature, causing it to expand, bend and break.”

Rail users have been warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services amid the extreme heat.

Extinction Rebellion activists smash windows at News UK building

09:13 , Joe Middleton

Extinction Rebellion activists have smashed two windows at the entrance of the News UK building at London Bridge this morning.

The News UK building is home to a number of prominent media outlets including the The Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Sun.

While the glass was smashed another group of protesters sprayed “TELL THE TRUTH” and “40 DEGREES = DEATH” on the front of the building. They also pasted recent copies of The Sun’s headlines on the heatwave onto the windows.

It comes just two days after a number of the group’s activists were arrested for breaking windows at JP Morgan’s office in Canary Wharf.

The group said today’s action is an “act of nonviolent civil disobedience comes as a response to the media’s coverage of the current heatwave.”

Shapps says people should ‘apply common sense’ when travelling in the heatwave

08:58 , Joe Middleton

Grant Shapps has told people to “apply common sense” when travelling in the heatwave and “depending on the nature of your journey and reason for it, you might want to consider rearranging your day around it”.

The transport secretary told BBC Breakfast: “We’ve seen a considerable amount of travel disruption. We’re probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today, and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn’t built to withstand this type of temperature - and it will be many years before we can replace infrastructure with the kind of infrastructure that could, because the temperatures are so extreme.”

UK experiences ‘warmest night on record’ with temperatures hovering around 25C in some places

08:47 , Joe Middleton

The UK has experienced its warmest night on record, the Met Office said on Monday.

Temperatures didn’t fall below 25C in some places, exceeding the previous daily minimum record of 23.9C in Brighton on 3 August 1990.

It was a hot night for much of England and Wales, with temperatures as high as 25.9C in Emley Moor and 25.8 in Kenley, while Aberporth recorded an overnight minimum temperature of 24.5C the Met Office said.

Saphora Smith has the details.

UK experiences ‘warmest night on record’

London Ambulance Service sees slight increase in calls for fainting and heat exposure

08:21 , Joe Middleton

Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations for London Ambulance Service, said the service saw a slight increase in calls for fainting and heat exposure on Monday.

The service received 6,600 emergency calls yesterday, which was slightly lower than predicted.

“We really hope that’s because the public really have been listened to the messages about how they can look after themselves and only call 999 if it’s a genuine emergency,” Mr Jordan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“People have been through a very long day yesterday and there’s been high temperatures overnight and with the even hotter temperatures today, I cannot really emphasise enough that people need to continue to do what we were asking them yesterday - to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun, keep hydrated, look after more vulnerable friends, families, neighbours and use sun cream etc.”

He added: “As yesterday afternoon progressed we saw a slight increase in the rates of fainting and heat exposure”.

Mr Jordan said that the service expected to see a “build-up of illness due to the continued heat overnight and even higher temperatures coming today... it’s just about making sure that even after the peak temperatures, everyone continues to follow that advice”.

Ambulances were not waiting outside of hospitals any longer than usual on Monday, he added.

PA

UK ‘experiences warmest night on record’, says Met Office

08:10 , Joe Middleton

The Met Office has said that the UK has provisionally experienced its warmest night on record in the UK.

The night-time temperature record is thought to have been broken after 26C was recorded in Emley Moor, West Yorkshire. The previous record was 23.9C.

The Met Office said on Twitter: “Temperatures didn’t fall below 25°C in places, exceeding the previous highest daily minimum record of 23.9°C, recorded in Brighton on 3rd August 1990.”

Meterologist Scott Duncan posted on Twitter that it was “the warmest night on record by far for millions of people” and that “many stations across the country are breaking the previous record of 23.9°C by an enormous margin”.

It will take decades to upgrade rail infrastructure to be more resilient to heatwaves, says Shapps

07:33 , Joe Middleton

Transport secretary Grant Shapps said issues on the rails and roads will continue for decades during extreme heatwaves.

As we reported on Monday the rail and road systems struggled to cope with the soaring temperatures, causing significant delays throughout the country.

Asked how long it will take to upgrade existing rail infrastructure to be more resilient, he told Sky News: “Decades, actually, to replace it all.

“Ditto with Tarmac 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’ve been used to, and these are the impacts of global warming.”

He said there was no Cobra meeting planned for Tuesday, with the prime minister instead chairing Cabinet.

Court setback for ministers on climate as Britain swelters in heatwave

07:27 , Joe Middleton

Ministers failed to outline exactly how their net zero strategy will achieve emissions targets, a court ruled on Monday – dealing the government’s climate change credentials a serious blow on the day Britain sweltered under its first ever red extreme temperature alert.

Proposals for meeting emission targets were too vague for business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to claim in parliament that the government was on track to fulfil its global warming promises, the High Court said.

Detailed analysis was omitted from the strategy even though “it is plain from the evidence before the court that the information existed at the time”, Mr Justice Holgate concluded.

Andrew Woodcock reports.

Legal setback for government over net zero strategy as Britain swelters in heatwave

How tin foil can keep your home cool during a heatwave

06:52 , Stuti Mishra

As the mercury rises, many people are looking for unorthodox ways to keep cool amid the rising mercury.

While fans and cooling devices may play a central role, an unlikely kitchen staple can also offer some respite from the oppressive heat.

Aluminium foil is both pliable, cheap and highly resistant to high temperatures.

Joanna Whitehead explains how to use tin foil to heatproof your house:

How tin foil can keep your home cool during a heatwave

UK must ‘heat-proof’ itself against rising temperatures

06:34 , Stuti Mishra

Leading experts have said that this intense summer heat will only become more common in the near future, endangering lives and bringing parts of the UK to a halt, writes Saphora Smith.

More must be done to ‘heat-proof’ the country, which is “not built for 40C,” the scientists say.

Read more:

UK must ‘heat-proof’ itself amid warnings thousands could die this summer

Front pages carry dire warnings for what’s to come as UK swelters

06:15 , Stuti Mishra

The UK’s sweltering heatwave is on the front pages of almost every newspaper as Met offices warn of worse to come in the days ahead, as well as the Tory race for premiership after Tom Tugendhat’s exit.

“Earth sends a warning,” the i says of temperatures which are expected to be even hotter on Tuesday, with a forecast map of Britain showing 41C in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, and 40C in London.

The Independent reports that on the first day of Britain’s first ever red extreme temperature alert a court ruled that ministers have failed to outline exactly how their net zero strategy will achieve emissions targets, adding that this has dealt a “serious blow” to the government’s climate change credentials.

The Daily Telegraph, Metro and the Daily Star all feature the same image of a police officer giving water to one of Buckingham Palace’s iconic Irish Guards during Monday’s sweltering heat.

See more front pages here:

What the papers say – July 19

Legal setback for government over net zero plan

05:45 , Stuti Mishra

Ministers failed to outline exactly how their net zero strategy will achieve emissions targets, a court ruled on Monday – dealing the government’s climate change credentials a serious blow on the day Britain sweltered under its first ever red extreme temperature alert, writes Andrew Woodcock.

Proposals for meeting emission targets were too vague for business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng to claim in parliament that the government was on track to fulfil its global warming promises, the High Court said.

Detailed analysis was omitted from the strategy even though “it is plain from the evidence before the court that the information existed at the time”, Mr Justice Holgate concluded.

Read more here:

Legal setback for government over net zero strategy as Britain swelters in heatwave

Monday was the hottest day of the year for Northern Ireland

05:29 , Stuti Mishra

Northern Ireland has recorded its hottest day of the year, with temperatures soaring above 30C in some areas.

People have been advised to stay out of the sun, despite there being no heat warning in place in the region.

In the Republic of Ireland, a yellow weather warning is in place and red and amber weather alerts for extreme heat have been issued across Great Britain.

The Met office recorded a temperature of 31.2C in Derrylin in Co Fermanagh at 3.55pm on Monday.

The next highest temperatures recorded were 30.8C in Armagh and Aldergrove, Co Antrim, 30.4C in Thomastown, Co Fermanagh and 29.8C in Castlederg, Co Tyrone.

The highest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland was 31.3C (88.3F) in Castlederg in County Tyrone last July.

As people flocked to beaches across Northern Ireland, public transport operator Translink announced that train tickets to the popular Helen’s Bay in Co Down were being suspended.

Dr Brid Farrell, deputy director of public health at the Public Health Agency (PHA), urged people to stay out of the sun during the warmest hours.

“Actually, we are in a fortunate position that we are not going to reach the temperatures currently being seen in England, Wales and the south of Scotland.”

Dr Farrell added: “We are going to encounter more extremes of weather, both very hot and very cold in the next couple of decades.”

“That is all due to climate change.”

Scotland could see record temperatures

05:10 , Stuti Mishra

Temperatures could hit record highs in Scotland on Tuesday as the country looks set to continue sweltering in a heatwave.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning - for extreme heat in eastern, southern and central parts of Scotland - which is in force until midnight on Wednesday.

Edinburgh is predicted to reach 31C, while Glasgow will see the mercury rise to around 28C.

But in Aboyne, thermometers could reach 32C, and in Coldstream, in the Scottish Borders, the mercury could soar to 34C.

Ahead of soaring temperatures, which weather experts believe could pass the August 2003 record of 32.9C at Greycrook in the Scottish Borders, Holyrood minister Keith Brown urged people “to think about whether they need to travel and, if they do, make sure they’re properly equipped and plan their journey in advance”.

On Monday, the mercury rose to 31.3C in Aboyne in Aberdeenshire and Leuchars in Fife, the Met Office said.

Meanwhile, the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh recorded 30.8C and temperatures peaked at 29.9C in Aviemore.

Britons brace for hottest day on record

04:47 , Stuti Mishra

Britons are set to melt on the hottest UK day on record as temperatures are predicted to hit 40C today amid growing travel chaos.

It comes after the mercury peaked at 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk on Monday, making it the hottest day of the year and the third hottest day on record, after 38.7C in Cambridge in 2019 and 38.5C in Faversham, Kent, in August 2003.

The mercury will sizzle at possible highs of 41C in isolated areas today, making the country hotter than Jamaica, the Maldives and Barbados - with rail users warned of delays, cancellations and changes to train services.

Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, told the PA news agency that Britons “have a pretty unprecedented day” today as the temperature will be very hot throughout the day, before rising as high as 40C, maybe even 41C in isolated spots across England during the afternoon.

“This will make it the hottest day on record and the first time we have seen temperatures as high as 40C.”

Scotland and Wales could also see their hottest days on record.

Commuters keep away: Traffic and passenger numbers drop in extreme heat

03:00 , Liam James

Network Rail said the number of passengers using major stations across Britain on Monday was around 20 per cent down on one week ago, as people were warned to avoid public transport in the extreme heat.

Road traffic was also down, with location technology firm TomTom saying congestion at 9am was lower in most UK cities than at the same time last week.

In London, congestion levels fell from 53% on July 11 to 42% on Monday.

In Birmingham they were down from 46% to 43%, in Manchester they decreased from 45% to 37%, and in Glasgow they dropped from 17% to 12%.

Transport for London said fewer people were using the Tube and bus services, down 18 per cent and 10 per cent on last Monday respectively.

Train speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail to reduce the chances of tracks buckling in the heatwave caused delays and cancellations.

Many operators were running a heavily reduced timetable on Monday and will do so on Tuesday, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern and Thameslink.

RAF stops flights to Brize Norton as ‘runway has melted’

02:00 , Liam James

The RAF has halted flights in and out of its biggest airbase after the runway reportedly melted on a day of extremely hot weather.

RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire was forced to divert traffic to other airfields due to safety concerns, a spokesperson said.

A source told Sky News the decision was taken on Monday morning because the runway’s tarmac had melted in the heat.

In a statement the RAF confirmed flights were being sent elsewhere as they could not take off safely from Brize Norton.

The air force said the diversions had not interfered with military business.

“During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan. This means there is no impact on RAF operations,” the statement said.

Brize Norton sits in the area of Britain on red alert for extreme heat on Monday and Tuesday, with temperatures on Monday expected to peak at 35C.

RAF stops flights to Brize Norton as ‘runway has melted’

Met Office forecaster debunks ‘doctored’ weather map comparison

01:00 , Liam James

“Left – old school weather forecast, happy and sunshiny. Right – new style weather forecast, Designed to look like fear and destruction. It’s called summer.”

This is the caption of a post which has gone viral on social media showing two maps of the UK – one purportedly during a previous spell of hot weather, and one apparently ahead of the current record heatwave.

However, the comparison has drawn ire from the Met Office meteorologist who designed the current heat maps being used.

Aidan McGivern told The Independent the post was “incredibly frustrating”, and said the image on the right, supposedly of a recent forecast, was doctored.

“This misinformation detracts from the Met Office’s forecasts, warnings and advice on how to stay safe during what is actually an unprecedented spell of extreme temperatures,” he said.

He also explained why the heat scale colours had been updated last year.

Met Office forecaster debunks ‘doctored’ weather map comparison

Heatwaves could lead to devastating wildfires, experts fear

Tuesday 19 July 2022 00:00 , Liam James

Experts are worried about the possibility of major wildfires tearing through the countryside as temperatures threaten to soar as high as 40C.

Wildlife would be “devastated” by such a blaze, with one expert suggesting Britain could face conditions similar to those taking hold in southern Europe.

Patches of England were at “exceptional risk” of wildfires on Monday, the Met Office said, with an alert spreading to most of the country for Tuesday.

“I haven’t even seen the exceptional category being used in the times I’ve looked at the Wildfire Index before,” Kathryn Brown, the Wildlife Trust’s director for climate action, said.

“In southern Europe, we’re seeing these stories of these horrendous wildfires taking hold all over the place and these are the conditions that we’re going to be more prone to.

“We need to be much more aware, and the public needs to be much more aware, of the wildfire risk.”

Blazes across France, Spain, Portugal and Greece have levelled thousands of acres of land and forced the evacuation of locals and holidaymakers.

The National Trust has warned against lighting barbecues or campfires in open countryside and dropping litter such as glass bottles.

Fourteen-year-old boy thought to have drowned in Thames

Monday 18 July 2022 23:30 , Liam James

A 14-year-old boy is missing and is believed to have drowned after getting into difficulty in the River Thames in west London.

Emergency services and the government have reiterated urgent warnings about the dangers of trying to keep cool after several tragedies in waterways and reservoirs during the heatwave.

At just before 5pm on Monday, the Metropolitan Police were alerted by London Ambulance Service to reports that a child had entered the water at Tagg’s Island in Hampton, Richmond.

Despite a search by officers, paramedics, London Fire Brigade and members of the public, efforts to find the boy were unsuccessful and the rescue operation was brought to an end at 6.40pm.

Efforts to recover his body will continue into the evening, with the boy‘s next of kin aware and being supported by specialist officers.

Superintendent Richard Smith, from the South West Command Unit, said: “Despite the very best efforts of all involved, we must now sadly conclude that this young boy has died.

“His death is a tragedy and I cannot begin to imagine what his family will be going through. All our thoughts are with them.

“I know that on days like today when temperatures are at a record high, it might look appealing to jump in and cool off in rivers, reservoirs, lakes or other open water.

“Please don’t. The dangers are real and this evening in Richmond we have seen the terrible consequences of what happens when it goes wrong.”

All Tory leadership candidates confirm commitment to net zero

Monday 18 July 2022 23:00 , Liam James

All five of the remaining Conservative leadership contenders have committed to meeting net zero by 2050 (Christopher McKeon writes).

At a well-attended hustings organised by the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) and chaired by Cop26 President Alok Sharma, the candidates confirmed their commitment to the UK’s net zero target.

Prior to the hustings, all the candidates except Kemi Badenoch had signed the CEN’s pledge to maintain the 2050 target.

As recently as July 12, the former equalities minister had described net zero policies as “unilateral economic disarmament”, while she has previously called the 2050 target “arbitrary”.

But as Britain saw its hottest day of the year on Monday and temperatures approached 40C, Ms Badenoch joined her fellow candidates in committing to the 2050 target.

All Tory leadership candidates confirm commitment to net zero

Ireland records hottest temperature in more than a century

Monday 18 July 2022 22:15 , Liam James

Ireland has recorded its hottest temperature in more than a century as parts of Dublin reached 33C, according to Met Eireann.

A status yellow high temperature warning remains in place across the country as it faces another day of high heat.

Data from Met Eireann shows that temperatures soared to 33C at Phoenix Park in the capital on Monday, making it provisionally the hottest day ever recorded in July.

It also breaks the high temperature record for the 21st and 20th century.

It said: “Phoenix Park has broken the highest 21st temperature record with 33C which is Ireland’s highest of 2022 so far and 12.8C above normal.

“This is only 0.3C below the all-time 135-year-old record set at Kilkenny Castle in 1887. Temperatures may still rise further.”

Hottest spots in all four UK nations

Monday 18 July 2022 21:35 , Liam James

Monday was exceptionally hot despite failing to live up to forecast that it would see the UK temperature record broken.

Wales recorded its hottest day ever at 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire, beating the previous record for the country which has been in place since 1990 by almost 2C.

Northern Ireland saw its hottest day of the year so far, with 3.1C at Derrylin. Scotland hit 31.3C at Aboyne in Aberdeenshire.

While England saw 38.1C at Santon Downham, Suffolk – just 0.6C shy of the UK record.

Tuesday is expected to be hotter still and all four UK nations are forecast to see temperature records shattered, with potential for 41C in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and 40C in London.

Health secretary says 999 calls up but paramedics say they are coping

Monday 18 July 2022 21:00 , Liam James

Emergency services are experiencing a rise in 999 calls as a heatwave sweeps Britain, according to Steve Barclay, the health secretary.

Mr Barclay said: “We’re seeing an increase in calls and the extra resource we have put in place is to manage that. But there’s also a time lag in the data because the highest point of the expected heatwave is actually going to be tomorrow afternoon.

“So that’s the point of maximum concern, but we’re seeing an increase in calls.”

Despite Mr barclay’s claim, three major ambulance services said they were operating as usual.

Brian Jordan, director of 999 operations at London Ambulance Service, urged people to only dial 999 in an emergency as he told the BBC a busy day would see 5,500 emergency calls to the service but he was anticipating up to 8,000 calls on Monday.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service said it was operating as usual with nothing out of the ordinary to report as yet.

A spokesman for North East Ambulance Service said the service remains busy “but so far today there has been no significant heat-related issues”.

Government’s net zero climate strategy ‘unlawful’ as heatwave temperatures soar

Monday 18 July 2022 20:35 , Liam James

The government has been ordered to redraw its net zero strategy after the High Court ruled it failed to effectively outline how it would limit carbon emissions, as the country swelters in record-breaking heat (Saphora Smith writes).

Climate campaigners won a legal challenge claiming the government’s plan was in breach of climate law as it omitted vital details to show how targets to bring down the level of harmful gases being pumped into the atmosphere would be met.

“Government’s strategy for getting to net zero is inadequate and unlawful, the High Court has found, following a successful legal challenge,” the Good Law Project said on Monday.

Cases brought by Friends of the Earth, environmental law charity ClientEarth and legal campaign group the Good Law Project were heard together at the High Court of Justice in London last month.

Lawyers for the claimants argued that the policies for emissions reduction targets only added up to around 95 per cent of the carbon reductions needed to be achieved.

Government’s net zero strategy ‘unlawful’ as heatwave temperatures soar

Commuters keep away: Traffic and passenger numbers drop in extreme heat

Monday 18 July 2022 20:03 , Liam James

Network Rail said the number of passengers using major stations across Britain on Monday was around 20 per cent down on one week ago, as people were warned to avoid public transport in the extreme heat.

Road traffic was also down, with location technology firm TomTom saying congestion at 9am was lower in most UK cities than at the same time last week.

In London, congestion levels fell from 53% on July 11 to 42% on Monday.

In Birmingham they were down from 46% to 43%, in Manchester they decreased from 45% to 37%, and in Glasgow they dropped from 17% to 12%.

Transport for London said fewer people were using the Tube and bus services, down 18 per cent and 10 per cent on last Monday respectively.

Train speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail to reduce the chances of tracks buckling in the heatwave caused delays and cancellations.

Many operators were running a heavily reduced timetable on Monday and will do so on Tuesday, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, Great Northern and Thameslink.

Swan uppers cut corners to keep cygnets cool

Monday 18 July 2022 19:54 , Liam James

Adjustments were made to the ancient tradition of Swan Upping – the annual census of the swan population along the River Thames – to help cygnets in the extreme heat.

The Queen’s Swan Marker, David Barber, accompanied by his team of Swan Uppers, took to the water in traditional rowing skiffs at Sunbury Lock Cut in Middlesex today as the five-day count and check got under way despite the heatwave.

Mr Barber told the PA news agency the baby swans were not taken ashore to be weighed and measured, and were checked in the boats instead and promptly returned to the river to keep them cool.

“The cygnets do have an issue of going into fishing lines because they’re not streetwise or riverwise so you have to check those over,” he said.

“Normally we would take them out of the water, ashore and weigh each cygnet and measure each cygnet for our data.

“Today we took them out of the water, checked them over, put a ring on them and then they went back in the water.”

Mr Barber, who has been the Queen’s Swan Marker for 29 years, said it was the hottest Swan Upping he had experienced, prompting him to dispense with his traditional heavy scarlet blazer, which is decorated with embroidered gold thread and royal insignia.

“The only time I put my blazer on was in Romney Lock when we gave a toast to Her Majesty the Queen. I just had to do that,” he said.

Temperature tops 30C in Scotland

Monday 18 July 2022 19:32 , Liam James

Temperatures have soared above 30C in Scotland as the country swelters in a heatwave.

The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning of “extreme heat” in eastern, southern and central parts of Scotland which is in force until midnight on Tuesday.

On Monday afternoon the mercury rose to 30.8C in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh, and reached 29.9C at Aviemore, the Met Office said.

Scotland‘s 9 August 2003 record of 32.9C at Greyrcrook in the Scottish Borders has yet to be broken but forecasters said that may happen on Tuesday.

Birmingham park burns in extreme heat

Monday 18 July 2022 19:13 , Liam James

A large fire erupted at a park on the outskirts of Birmingham this afternoon.

Around 4,305 square feet of land was alight and more than 60 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze.

A spokesperson for Hereford & Worcester Fire Service said: “HWFRS and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service crews are currently fighting a fire in the open in the area of Rose Hill in Rednal in the Lickey Hills.

“People are asked to stay away from the area – residents are asked to keep their doors and windows closed.”

Centuries-old meteorological station records highest ever temperature

Monday 18 July 2022 18:55 , Liam James

A centuries-old meterorological station in Oxford has recorded its highest ever temperature.

The Radcliffe Observatory recorded 36.5C today as temperature records were broken all around the UK.

Meteorological records commenced at the observatory in 1772, an unbroken daily air temperature record exists from November 1813, with daily rainfall records from January 1827 and sunshine records from February 1880.

The University of Oxford site is the longest continous climate record in the UK and one of the longest in the world.

The previous highest daily temperature was recorded in 2019.

Fears of ‘leaf scorch’ for Kew Gardens plants

Monday 18 July 2022 18:35 , Liam James

Rainforest plants housed in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew could be scorched in the extreme heat this week, one of its executives has said.

Richard Barley, director of gardens, said the Palm House was kept cooler than the outside temperature but “leaf scorch” was still a risk.

“A building like the Palm House doesn’t have structural shading or anything of that sort, so scorching is a possibility,” he said.

“If there’s no cloud cover and if the air temperature is high and there’s sunshine in mid-summer conditions, we can get leaf scorch, particularly of plants that have their foliage up close to the glass.

“Usually, the plants will withstand reasonably high temperatures, although if they got to be extreme, we’d be in uncharted territory.”

Visitors appeared to be put off by the temperatures as they soared into the high 30s, with Mr Barley suggesting most had “sensibly stayed” in the “comparative cool” of their homes.

However, the Palm House was cooler than the outside conditions thanks to its humidity, which is maintained at around 75 per cent.

More wildfires in 48 hours than in all of last July

Monday 18 July 2022 18:19 , Liam James

In the last 48 hours England and Wales have recorded at least two dozen wildfires, double the number recorded in all of July last year (Saphora Smith writes).

Paul Hedley, the lead on wildfires for the National Fire Chiefs Council, toldThe Independent that by around 4pm on Monday fire and rescue services across England and Wales had recorded at least 24 fires since Sunday morning at 7 am.

By comparison in July last year, 11 wildfires were recorded across both countries, he added.

“Everything is just tinder dry right across the country,” he said. “It’s certainly a lot more thant we’ll be expecting to get on a daily basis.”

Mr Hedley said the uptick in fires was linked to the extreme heat engulfing the country.

More wildfires in 48 hours than in all of last July

Another grass fire sparked in London

Monday 18 July 2022 18:03 , Liam James

Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters have been sent to tackle a grass fire in London.

Around two acres of shrubland was on fire on Woolwich Common, London Fire Brigade said.

Barely one hour earlier, a grass area the size of three football fields set alight in nearby Bexleyheath.

Watch: Wildfire breaks out in Birmingham country park following UK heatwave

Monday 18 July 2022 18:02 , Liam James

A fire has broken out at a popular beauty spot near Birmingham just yards away from a historic golf club as heatwave temperatures top 40C.

More than 60 firefighters are battling the flames which broke out at Lickey Hills Country Park in Rednal at 1.15pm today.

Residents living nearby have been advised to close all doors and windows.

Flights suspended at Luton as high temperatures cause runway defect

Monday 18 July 2022 17:42 , Liam James

Flights have been suspended at Luton Airport due to a runway defect caused by Monday’s high temperatures (Lucy Thackray writes).

A statement posted to the airport’s Twitter account shortly after 4.20pm reads: “Following today’s high temperatures, a surface defect was identified on the runway.

“Engineers were called immediately to site and repair works are currently in progress to resume operations as soon as possible.

“We would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

At least 14 incoming passenger flights have so far been diverted – mainly to nearby Stansted. They include Ryanair flights from Athens, Zante and Las Palmas, easyJet from Catania and Tui from Skiathos.

Flights suspended at Luton as high temperatures cause runway defect

Grass fire sparked in London

Monday 18 July 2022 17:26 , Liam James

Firefighters are tackling a fire on a field in a London suburb.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze by Halcot Avenue in Bexleyheath, London Fire Brigade (LFB) said.

An area the size of three football pitches was in flames, LFB added.

The fire service said it had attended more than 800 grass fires in the last six weeks and reminded people it is illegal to light barbecues in London parks.

Wales records highest temperature ever for second time today

Monday 18 July 2022 17:15 , Liam James

The temperature record for Wales has been broken again, hours after the last record was set.

The Met Office reported the temperature reached 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire shortly before 4pm.

Just two hours before, 35.3C was recorded some 80 miles southwest in Gogerddan near Aberystwyth.

This earlier temperature was the highest since August 1990 when 35.2C was recorded at Hawarden.

Thermometer records 40C in London

Monday 18 July 2022 17:04 , Liam James

A thermometer recorded a temperature of 40C at Oxford Circus in London at 3.45pm today.

If confirmed by the Met Office, this would be the highest temperature ever recorded in the UK by some way.

The current record of 38.7C was set in 2019 and was expected to be surpassed today, with another new record expected on Tuesday.

Cobra meets to co-ordinate ‘extensive preparation and mitigation measures’ for next 36 hours

Monday 18 July 2022 16:30 , Chiara Giordano

Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse has said the NHS has all of its operational capacity and capability available in the heatwave after chairing Cobra meeting.

He said the meeting was the latest in a series to co-ordinate the “extensive preparation and mitigation measures being taken across the government to face the next 36 hours”.

Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, he said: "Temperatures are forecast to reach the low 40s centigrade, it looks probably they will break the current UK record of 38.7C recorded in Cambridge in 2019 - they currently stand at 37.5C in Suffolk."

He added: "While we hope people will take notice of the advice on how to keep safe in the high temperatures, the NHS has made sure all its operational capacity and capability are available in the heatwave."

The minister said there are now more than 2,400 call handlers for 999, an increase of around 500 since September last year.

More wildfires in 48 hours than in all of last July

Monday 18 July 2022 16:10 , Chiara Giordano

In the last 48 hours England and Wales have recorded at least two dozen wildfires, double the number recorded in all of July last year.

Paul Hedley, the lead on wildfires for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), toldThe Independent fire and rescue services across England and Wales have recorded at least 24 fires since Sunday morning at 7am.

Our climate correspondent Saphora Smith has this exclusive report:

More wildfires in 48 hours than in all of last July

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website