Gridlocked lorries and cars crawl along in one of the 10-mile queues for cross-Channel ferries today as yet more travel chaos plagued swathes of Britain.
The delay of up to four hours on the A20 – and other routes around Dover in Kent – was just part of the continuing disruption and misery for road and rail users.
The record-breaking heatwave of mid-week turned into a washout as people attempted a weekend getaway.
Officials at the Port of Dover blamed the road congestion on the high volume of holiday traffic and advised travellers to allow extra time to reach ferries.
But one would-be passenger tweeted in despair: “Abandoned my trip to Germany – not worth it.”
Parts of the rail network suffered a third day of crisis as services were hit by delays and cancellations due to a combination of wet weather, emergency repair work and a strike.
Services were hit by delays and cancellations, while thunderstorms and torrential downpours led to warnings of flash floods in some areas. Train companies told passengers to expect reduced services until Monday as engineers struggled to fix overhead power cables in north-west London. The cables were damaged on Thursday when the UK recorded its hottest July day ever.
East Midlands Trains told passengers to expect a “significantly reduced” service till tomorrow on its London St Pancras-Nottingham-Sheffield routes due to the damaged line equipment and a revised timetable on several local routes because of industrial action by the RMT union.
A second successive Saturday walkout by RMT members over pay and conditions meant some services were replaced by revised timetables and coach services.
East Midlands Trains’ boss Jake Kelly said the company was working “very closely” with Network Rail engineers to repair the equipment and apologised to passengers.
He said: “Our advice for customers is to avoid travelling on this route wherever possible and make alternative arrangements.”
Meanwhile, Thameslink told customers the repair work would affect services between Sutton, south London, and St Albans, Herts, in both directions for much of the weekend.
Tickets on East Midlands and Thameslink trains are being accepted on alternative routes.
Paul Rutter, chief operating office for Network Rail, said the unprecedented heatwave had been “tremendously difficult” for the network.
Gatwick Airport also warned of potential disruption due to “adverse” weather across Europe and advised passengers to check with their airlines for the latest information.
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning across much of England, apart from the South West, until Sunday afternoon.
Up to 20mm of rain fell in parts of the capital and the the south east in the early hours of yesterday, with forecasters expecting up to another 20mm last night.
The Met Office said heavy and persistent rain in the north and east would continue overnight before slowly moving westwards today and turning clearer over southern England and south Wales. But daytime temperatures are expected to be as low as 19C (66F).
Forecaster Alex Deakin added: “If you’re stuck under this rain and thick cloud, temperatures are really going to struggle.”
The heatwave was yesterday blamed for the deaths of chickens at a farm that supplies high street supermarkets.
Workers from Moy Park chicken farm in Newton on Trent, Lincs, piled the dead birds outside their buildings.
One said: “We tried to do everything but there was nothing more we could do. The freak weather has done this to them.”
Moy Park, which supplies retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and online supermarket Ocado, said: “The recent high temperatures have been very challenging for many in the farming and poultry industries.
“We are working closely with our farming partners to monitor the situation and have implemented procedures to help protect our birds against the extreme heat.”
