Hottest day of year as temperatures soar to 32.4C in London

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Network rail warned of potential disruption to trains from the heatwave as temperatures hit a new high in the south east on Friday.

The Met Office recorded a temperature of 32.4C at Heathrow just after midday, making it the hottest day of the year for the third day in a row.

Network Rail warned services may experience delays and disruption because of the heat, which can cause overhead wires to sag and the steel rails to buckle, and advises citizens to check before they travel.

“We can’t change the weather, but it can change your plans,” the organisation said on its website.

The Met Office said the mercury could climb still further to 34C for parts of the South East, and predicts there could be “the hottest Royal Ascot on record” in Berkshire.

The previous high of 29.5C was recorded at Northolt in west London on Thursday, surpassing the high of 28.2C recorded at Kew Gardens on Wednesday.

A Level 3 Heat-Health alert for London, the East of England and the South East is in place to help protect health services, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.

“The Level 3 alert is operational and called ‘heatwave action’," the UKHSA's Agostinho Sousa told BBC Breakfast.

He said the alert is to help protect the NHS, adding: "It is to inform our partners that they should prepare their services for possible increases in demand due to increases in temperatures."

The heatwave prompted London Fire Brigade to issue a warning over the safety of barbecues and people swimming to cool down.

It said disposable barbecues are a "serious concern" for fire crews because they can remain a fire risk after they have been used.

London’s firefighters have attended almost 600 fires involving barbecues - 45 of which were on private balconies - over the past five years.

It advised people to take care when disposing of them, adding: "If you are having a barbecue, keep a bucket of water or sand nearby and make sure it’s placed on level ground so it doesn’t tip over. Never use petrol or paraffin."

The LFB also warned of using London's waterways to cool off, after nine accidental drownings took place in the capital last year.

Alcohol was suspected or a confirmed factor in one in every three fatalities, LFB said.

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