UK weather: Temperatures set to soar higher as 'extreme' heat sparks wildfires and causes rail disruption

Temperatures will continue to soar across the UK this week as a heatwave which has already caused wildfires and travel disruption intensifies, forecasters have said.

Train passengers face delays as speed restrictions are enforced to prevent steel rails buckling in scorching weather that has sparked blazes on moorland north England.

The mercury peaked at 30.1C in Hampton, southwest London, on Monday, as the whole of the UK enjoyed uninterrupted sunshine.

The record was superseded on Tuesday, when the unabated heat saw temperatures hit 30.6C in Porthmadog in Wales, making it the hottest day of the year so far.

The Met Office has issued a level two heatwave alert, meaning social and healthcare services should prepare to take action to reduce harm caused by hot weather.

Police warned people about the danger of cooling off in open water after a man drowned and a child went missing swimming in lakes in Surrey and Stoke-on-Trent.

The man’s body was recovered by divers following a three hour search at Mercers Lake in Nutfield, Surrey, on Monday evening. He had earlier been seen struggling in the water, said Surrey Police.

A search operation resumed on Tuesday morning for the missing child, who was last seen “in distress” in Stoke-on-Trent’s Westport Lake on Monday. Two other children reached shore safely.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue said crews were continuing to battle a wildfire on Saddleworth Moor, in the Pennines, after working “tirelessly” throughout Monday to combat the two-kilometre blaze.

“A significant amount of low lying smoke has been discharged in the local area and firefighters are reminding people to keep their doors and windows closed,” a spokesman said.

Station manager Dave Swallow added: “It’s a challenging incident for our crews due to the heat and the fact that the area involved in fire is around two miles from the nearest access point. We are having to get in extra fire engines to set up a water relay system from Dovestones Reservoir.”

Twelve fire engines also tackled a wildfire about 40 milies away on the West Pennine Moors near Rivington, Lancashire, on Monday.

Dr Thomas Waite of Public Health England urged people to look out for the elderly, young children and people with underlying health conditions, as he warned “the summer heat can bring real health risks”.

He added: “We know that when weather like this hits, many people will head outdoors and make the most of the sunshine – but for others, temperatures like these, over more than a day or two, can be really uncomfortable and pose a significant risk to health.

“This is because their bodies may struggle to adapt to working harder, as all our bodies do when the weather gets this hot, and they can become ill.

“It’s vitally important that we keep an eye on friends, family and neighbours who may be at risk.”

Merseyside is likely to enjoy the hottest weather on Tuesday, with the Met Office forecasting with highs of 31C – on a par with Kuala Lumpar and Rio de Janeiro.

Temperatures are set to soar further this week, reaching a possible high of 33C on Thursday, said meteorologist Alex Burkill. The average UK temperature for this time of year of 17.3C.

The dry, hot weather looks set to continue for the rest of June and next month, Mr Burkill said. “At the moment it looks like that will be the general theme through much of July,” he added. “Generally it looks like it will stay drier and warmer than average.”

Network Rail said extreme weather action teams were being mobilised across the country to monitor “vulnerable locations”.

Services on the London Waterloo to New Malden line will be subject to speed restrictions from 11am each day until Friday.

Andy Thomas, managing director of Network Rail’s operations in England and Wales, said: “On very sunny days, rails in direct sunshine can be as much as 20C above air temperature causing the steel to expand markedly and could, if not carefully monitored and action taken, buckle causing travel disruption.

“Our engineers and specialist extreme weather teams are monitoring trackside temperatures and vulnerable locations and will, if necessary, introduce temporary speed restrictions during the hottest part of the day to keep trains running, albeit more slowly than normal.”

Slower trains exert lower forces on the track, reducing the likelihood of damage.