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Daily Mirror

National

Alahna Kindred

Met Office issues extreme heat warning for weather 'too hot to work in' amid 43C fears

United Kingdom Met Office

A rare amber weather warning for extreme heat has been issued for large parts of the UK as the mercury sizzles above 30C today with Brits warned it could become too hot to work.

The weather warning doesn't come into effect until Sunday but temperatures are already starting to climb into the 30s.

The East Midlands, East of England, South East England, North East England, North West England, South West England, Wales, West Midlands and Yorkshire & Humber are under a warning for extreme heat.

The Met Office has warned the heat is likely to be "population-wide adverse health effects", including "potential serious illness or danger to life".

The Met Office also warned that 'population-wide adverse health effects are likely' with 'substantial changes in working practices and daily routines likely to be required', while there could be a loss of gas, water and electricity.

There is a significant risk to those in coastal areas, lakes and rivers because of an increased risk of water safety accidents, forecasters said.

The Met Office has issued a weather warning for the heat this week (PA)

Warnings were issued as the mercury is set to soar past 32C tomorrow, making the country hotter than the Maldives.

Some reports have suggested Brits could swelter in 43C heat next Sunday, although the Met Office warned this exact figure is "very unlikely".

It comes as Britain got so so hot today that even the train tracks burst into flames.

Train services had to be suspended this morning after a fire on a bridge in Battersea, South London, between Victoria and Brixton.

A train track burst into flames this morning as Network Rail warned the heatwave could cause travel disruption (Network Rail)

Network Rail earlier warned that the hot weather could cause lines to "expand and sometimes buckle", causing disruptions to train routes.

Met Office Deputy Chief Meteorologist Rebekah Sherwin said: “Today and tomorrow (Monday 11th and Tuesday 12th), temperatures are likely to peak at 33C in the southeast, with warm weather likely to continue throughout this week and it looks likely to ramp up late this week and into early next week.

“From Sunday and into Monday, temperatures are likely to be in excess of 35C in the southeast, although the details still remain uncertain. Elsewhere, temperatures could be fairly widely above 32C in England and Wales, and in the mid-to-high 20s Celsius further north.”

Experts fear it could reach a scorching 43C on Sunday – “obliterating” the UK’s previous record of 38.7C at Cambridge Botanic Garden in July 2019.

It came as crowds descended on beaches and parks to soak up the 29C sunshine yesterday.

This is where the Amber weather warning covers on Sunday according to this Met Office map (Met Office)

Scotland has already recorded its hottest day of the year so far. The Met Office said the temperature reached 27.3C yesterday in Aboyne, on the edge of the Highlands in Aberdeenshire.

Meteorologists say the hot weather is being sparked by hot air from Europe.

People enjoying the sun at Barry Island (PA)

It is feared the week-long heat could hit rail infrastructure, pose a danger to the most vulnerable in society and cause “hundreds” of deaths.

The Met Office’s Steven Keates said: “The potential is there to see exceptional heat, potentially record-breaking.

People on the beach at Barry Island, Wales enjoying the hot weather (PA)

“Some modelling output is offering quite alarming temperatures.

He added: “There is some exceptionally hot air which has developed across Spain and France which could come our way.

“It could be something that we’ve never seen before. There’s a good chance of the record being broken.

“This sort of heat is not going to be particularly welcomed by anybody, except maybe by statisticians.

People look out over Chesil Beach in Portland (Getty Images)

“It will be dangerous heat, our buildings and infrastructure are designed to cope with that. It will be the vulnerable in society who suffer, the young and the old.

“There will be potential dangers and stress on NHS bodies and there will be restrictions on railways and things like that. People should consider if they travel.

“There’ll also be high pollen and high UV levels.”