UK heatwave live: Cancelled trains spark travel chaos as Met Office issues thunderstorm weather warning and clean up begins after wildfires destroy homes
This is MailOnline’s liveblog providing July 20 updates on the weather amid a record-breaking heatwave which has sparked a series of devastating fires and taken more than a dozen lives:
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London Ambulance Service reports huge surge in heat exposure and fainting amid sizzling heatwave
The London Ambulance Service says it has seen a spike in people reporting heat exposure and fainting amid the ongoing heatwave.
It said it has taken some 13,400 calls to 999 over the past two days, equating to one every 13 seconds.
Yesterday, when temperatures surpassed 40C in many areas, it saw a 10-fold increase in incidents related to heat exposure compared to last week.
Over the last two days, we have taken a total of 13,400 calls to 999. This equates to one every 13 seconds.
Early data shows that on Tuesday, we saw a ten-fold increase in incidents related to heat exposure compared to last week, and an 8% increase in people fainting.#heatwave
London Mayor Sadiq Khan today said the London Fire Brigade (LFB) received more than 2,600 calls throughout Tuesday – seven times the usual number.
The London Mayor told Sky News: ‘Yesterday was the busiest day for the fire service in London since the Second World War.
‘Yesterday they received more than 2,600 calls – more than a dozen simultaneous fires requiring 30 engines, a couple requiring 15, and some requiring 12.’
He said 41 properties including homes and warehouses were destroyed in London, and urged Londoners not to have barbecues as conditions continued to be very dry.
In Wennington, east London, a devastating blaze destroyed two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, as well as outbuildings, garages, stables and cars and affected 40 hectares of grassland, LFB said.
And in Dagenham, a grassland fire destroyed and damaged houses and vehicles.
Mr Kham added: ‘16 firefighters were injured and two taken to hospital because of heat stress.
‘It is really important to recognise that one of the consequences of climate change are these sorts of temperatures which lead to the fires we have seen.
‘The challenge in London is we’ve got a lot of grass and green spaces, but a lot of it impinges on properties and the grass is incredibly dry. Fires can start incredibly quickly and spread even faster because of wind.’
Train lines reopen between Lancaster and Carlisle following severe damage to the overhead electric wires
Train lines have reopened following severe damage to the overhead electric wires between Lancaster and Carlisle.
However trains running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed or revised whilst service recovers, warned National Rail.
ℹ️ #UKHeatwave – Lines have reopened following severe damage to the overhead electric wires between Lancaster and Carlisle. Trains running between these stations may still be cancelled, delayed or revised whilst service recovers.
Heavy showers will hit parts of England today with temperatures cooler than yesterday
The Met Office says ‘heavy showers will bubble up’ in parts of England this afternoon, with many areas under a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms.
Those lucky enough to avoid the rain, mainly in the far south west and south east, will remain largely dry.
Temperatures will be ‘less hot than yesterday’, the weather service said.
Heavy showers will bubble up this afternoon in parts of England with a risk of thunder ⛈️
Largely dry elsewhere and less hot than yesterday 🌥️ pic.twitter.com/6syO2OJ1MX
Services between Stratford and London St Pancras will remain affected until 1pm after a signal failure this morning caused the line to close for an hour.
National Rail said all affected lines have now reopened but that cancellations or delays will last until 1pm.
Passengers are asked to check the status of their train before travelling.
Level crossing MELTED in heat as UK begins third day of travel chaos with NO trains from King’s Cross and disruption across UK – amid warning storms will cause more mayhem
Rail passengers faced mass disruption across Britain today as all trains out of London King’s Cross were cancelled and there were no direct services between Euston and Scotland following the UK’s hottest day on record.
Operators including LNER and Thameslink issued ‘do not travel’ warnings again, almost every train out of London St Pancras was axed and Eurostar passengers faced delays of more than an hour due to a power failure in Lille.
King’s Cross resembled a dormitory this morning as stranded passengers slept on suitcases, tables and benches while waiting for news of whether trains heading north would restart again after they were all cancelled yesterday.
Read full story at MailOnline here:
Scotland records its highest ever temperature at 35.1C
BBC WEATHER: Floors Castle, Kelso, reached 35.1C on Tuesday – a new provisional maximum temperature for Scotland.
This is up from an earlier figure on the day of 34.8C at Charterhall. Figures taken from the Met Office.
Floors Castle, Kelso, reached 35.1C on Tuesday – a new provisional max temperature for Scotland. This is up from an earlier figure on the day of 34.8C at Charterhall. Figures from the Met Office. pic.twitter.com/Hb86Fe6uzS
Just Stop Oil protestors BLOCK the M25 in both directions near Heathrow as they predict record temperatures mean ‘society will collapse within 20 years’
Just Stop Oil protestors are blocking the M25 in both directions near Heathrow Airport and have promised to disrupt the motorway all week as they predict record temperatures mean ‘society will collapse in 20 years’.
Activists have scaled gantry over the M25 at the Poyle Interchange between Junction 14 and Junction 15 near Heathrow Airport, with police closing the motorway northbound and southbound.
A similar demonstration is taking place at near Junction 10 between Cobham and Guildford – causing nine miles of traffic and hour-long delays.
Read the full story at MailOnline here:
Travel update: No service between Watford and St Albans
There is currently no service between Watford and St Alban’s after a cable become wrapped around the top of a train carriage.
Network Rail said engineers were on site to remove the cable.
⚠️ There is currently no service from #Watford to #StAlbans as there is a cable wrapped around the pantograph (the metal on top of an electric train to connect the it to the overhead lines ⚡️)
Our engineers 👷🏼♀️👷🏾 are on site to remove the cable 🔧
Please #checkbeforeyoutravel pic.twitter.com/2UK0JnsxoN
Yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in place from 12pm to 10pm
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms today between 12pm and 10pm.
The warning encompasses London, Oxford, Peterborough, Norwich, Nottingham and parts of Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent.
The weather service warned of heavy showers which could lead to sudden flooding and a chance of bus and train cancellations.
It also reported a ‘slight chance’ of power cuts.
⚠️ Yellow weather warning updated ⚠️
Thunderstorm warning extended further north
Today 1200 – 2200
Latest info 👉 https://t.co/QwDLMfRBfs
Stay #WeatherAware⚠️ pic.twitter.com/PEyUypdge4
‘It’s like a warzone’: Devastated homeowners ‘lost everything’ as they fled wildfires that destroyed 41 homes across London as record 40.3C heatwave sparked ‘busiest day for firefighters in since WW2’
Homeowners have told how they were forced to grab their beloved pets and flee for their lives as their properties were decimated by a fire thought to have been sparked by a compost heap which spontaneously combusted.
Two rows of terraced houses, four other homes, 12 stables and five cars were destroyed by the inferno in Wennington, near the Dartford Crossing east of London.
Terrified residents were ordered out as 100 firefighters tried to halt a lethal wall of flame spreading from home to home, fanned by warm winds. One firefighter at the scene branded it ‘absolute hell’.
Read the full story at MailOnline here:
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