BRITS are basking in what could be the UK’s hottest day since records began as temperatures soared to 40.2C, provisional forecasts suggest.
The mercury at London Heathrow rose above the UK’s previous all-time high of 38.7C recorded in Cambridge in 2019, unconfirmed data has found.
Huge crowds flocked to the beach at Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside today
Sunseeker Marisa Santos enjoyed the warm weather on Bournemouth Beach
Two women dip their heads into the fountain to cool off in Trafalgar Square
One lucky resident in Blackpool took a dip in the pool in her garden
Records first began in 1910, with the Met Office responsible for keeping track of temperatures ever since.
The record applies only to the UK, with today’s 40.2C dwarfed by the world-record 56.7C recorded in California in 1913.
As temperatures soared, sunseekers did not let another day of travel chaos scupper their plans as huge crowds rushed to parks and beaches across the country.
And they should enjoy it while they can as the heatwave ends tomorrow – and is replaced with a yellow warning for thunderstorms across London and parts of the South East.
Thousands of workers worked from home again today amid fears rail lines will “buckle” as temperatures soar.
Yesterday, the mercury peaked at 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk, at 3pm.
And last night was the warmest night in the UK since records began in 1910, as Met Office forecasters recorded highs of 25.9C in Emley Moor, near Huddersfield.
Power cuts were reported in London and several areas in the South East after the Met Office warned that heat-sensitive equipment faces a “high risk of failure” in hot weather.
Some lucky Brits are able to cool off from the heat in the world’s first floating pool built across two buildings on London’s South Bank.
The heat also melted Luton Airport’s runway yesterday, with the high temperatures sparking grass fires.
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One Aldi supermarket rationed heatwave essentials like water bottles for customers while Brits were urged to look out for elderly residents and vulnerable neighbours.
Tragically, a man in his 70s last night became the twelfth person to die in the heatwave.
It came after a 14-year-old boy was feared to have drowned after getting into difficulties in the Thames in Richmond, West London.
And cops scrambled to save a 16-year-old boy after he began struggling in Bray Lake, Maidenhead, Berkshire, at around 11.45am.
A sun-soaked woman poses for a pic with a pal at Bournemouth Beach
Brits exercised in the early-morning sunshine in Greenwich Park, London
Sunseekers were seen jumping from a bridge and into the cool water below in Yorkshire
Brits rushed to grab a spot on the sand this morning as revellers left rubbish strewn across the beach in Bournemouth
Brits have been piling onto packed tube carriages in London this morning
A total of 21 train operators have announced slower services to stop tracks buckling – with Network Rail warning commuters that train times could more than double due to speed restrictions.
And the chances of services returning to normal by midweek will depend on any “damage that the weather does to the infrastructure” on Monday and Tuesday, travellers have been told.
Network Rail has issued a “do not travel” warning today to areas that fall within the Met Office’s extreme heat warning zone.
No Thameslink or Great Northern services are scheduled to run north from London all day.
And around 220,000 passengers will be hit as all East Coast Main Line services from London King’s Cross are called off in the heat.
Ice cream freezers at Waitrose, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, were empty as Brits sought ways to cool down
Some lucky Brits are able to cool off from the heat in the world’s first floating pool in London
Families set up on the beach in Bournemouth this morning as they brace for another sunny day
Brits in Powys, Wales, made the most of the warm weather yesterday and stayed out late into the night
Revellers in Powys, Wales, appeared to make the most of the warmth late into the night
On Monday, commuters crammed onto trains in London
The London Underground was crowded with people today as Brits headed into work this morning
