Heatwave continues but leads to man's death, wildfires and travel chaos
Britain’s heatwave shows no signs of abating, with the mercury set to rise to a scorching 33C (91.4F) later in the week, but while many have welcomed the warm weather, it has also led to at least one death, sparked a wildfire and caused commuter chaos.
On Monday evening, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service recovered the body of a man who had been swimming in a lake in Nutfield.
Meanwhile in Stoke-on-Trent, searches continue for 13-year-old Ryan Evans who disappeared while open water swimming with friends.
Police described the boy's parents as "distraught" as divers scoured Westport Lake on Tuesday.
All three children got into distress on Monday afternoon, before two of them were rescued from the water.
On Sunday, the hot dry weather contributed to a wildfire in Saddleworth in the north of the Peak District.
The blaze was initially brought under control, but the flames took hold again on Monday morning due to the hot and dry conditions and firefighters are still tackling it.
In nearby Lancashire another wildfire broke out on Monday afternoon at Rivington Pike, but was brought under control by firefighters by night.
The rising temperatures are also causing commuter chaos, with speed restrictions introduced on Britain's railways amid concern that rails will buckle as temperatures soar, causing long waits for those travelling by train.
When trains travel more slowly, they exert less pressure on the tracks, making them less likely to buckle.
Network Rail's extreme weather action teams are being activated across the country to monitor "vulnerable locations".
One route affected is the line from London Waterloo to New Malden, where services are being subjected to speed restrictions from 11am each day until Friday.
On Monday evening, travellers attempting to leave Waterloo were met with long queues in the station and reported "hot trains not going anywhere".
The hot weather and sunshine of recent days is showing no signs of abating, with parts of the UK hotter than Athens in Greece, and on a par with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Rio in Brazil.
Temperatures peaked on Monday at 30.1C (86.2F) in Hampton in west London, with the UK set to top this on Tuesday,with Merseyside likely to enjoy the hottest weather with highs of 31C (87.8F) forecast.
The mercury is set to rise still further, later on this week with temperatures expected to peak at 33C (91.4F), almost double the UK average for this time of year of 17.3C (63.1F).
While the weather is set to cool slightly towards the end of the week, it is expected to remain dry and warmer than average well into July.
The Met Office’s heat-health watch alert is currently at level two, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.
Dr Thomas Waite of Public Health England urged people to keep in mind those who may be vulnerable, including the elderly, young children and those with underlying health conditions for whom he said “the summer heat can bring real health risks”.
Following the man's death in Surrey and the teenagers who got into distress in Stoke-on-Trent, police are urging people not to swim in open water.
While bodies of water may appear safe, they can hide dangers such as hidden currents, hazardous objects, pollution, it can be difficult to gauge water depth, and can cause cold water shock, which affects our ability to swim and reach safety if experiencing difficulties.