Air and rail passengers are being hit by more travel disruption even as temperatures cool after the hottest July day on record.
Flights from London airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, have been delayed and cancelled due to heatwave-related issues technical problems with the UK’s air traffic control system.
It comes as the Met Office received a new provisional recording of 38.7C in Cambridge on Thursday, which – if confirmed – would be a new temperature record for the UK.
The railway network still faces heavy delays and cancellations after soaring temperatures caused overhead cables to sag. Great Northern, Thameslink and East Midland Trains are among the train companies affected with passengers advised to avoid travelling unless the journey is essential.
Meanwhile, the Met Office has issued a severe weather alert over the weekend warning of potential flooding in north, northeast, northwest and southeast England.
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Multiple services to and from Berlin and Rome have been cancelled, along with domestic links to and from Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.
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Thousands of passengers disrupted as flights and trains cancelled due to extreme heat
The IndependentBritish Airways has cancelled at least 50 flights to and from Heathrow airportThunderstorms in the south east of England are continuing to bring heavy rain, gusty winds and lightning this morning.
Last night, thunderstorms gave some impressive displays across parts of the country.
"The thunderstorms could continue on and off through the course of the day," Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said.
"There is enough energy in the atmosphere to keep it going."
The Met Office has issued a severe weather alert for tomorrow and Sunday, warning of potential flooding in north, north east and north west England.
The weather warning will be in force from 12pm tomorrow to 3pm on Sunday, although temperatures will still remain high today.
There is a small chance that homes and business could be flooded and a risk of cancellations to train and bus services, forecasters warn.
Rail companies feared trail lines would buckle, but it was sagging overhead cables which led to problems.
minimum temperature.
Patients and staff will face "totally unbearable" conditions in hospitals as Britain swelters in record-breaking temperatures, public health experts have warned.
During the four heatwaves last summer Public Health England estimated there were up to 863 extra deaths.
Dr Nick Scriven warned of struggles to keep patients and those working hydrated during the summer, with staff being "so busy they cannot leave wards to find cold drinks".
A Commons select committee report last year found that NHS England's emergency preparedness, resilience and response assurance "does not account for the risk of overheating hospitals".
As climate experts warn that record-breaking heatwaves will become the “new normal” in the UK, numerous workers will likely be wondering how they will cope with sweltering conditions in the office
So, how hot does it need to be before British workers should be sent home by their employers?
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Can you legally leave work if it becomes too hot?
The IndependentTrade unions want maximum workplace temperature set at 30CThe company's website said a cable had exploded and caught fire, meaning all power to platform six had to be shut down.
“Traffic to and from Paris is severely disrupted,” Eurostar said in a statement.
Eurostar services are also suffering delays due to speed restrictions imposed as a result of this week's heatwave. Hundreds of passengers were forced to leave a train in scorching heat when the train lost power on Thursday.
A problem with the power supply at Paris Gare du Nord is severely disrupting services.
The train operator has cancelled two trains each way to and from the French capital, on one of the busiest days of the year.
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Eurostar is telling passengers: ‘Don’t travel unless it’s essential’
The IndependentTrains as well as planes have been cancelled between London and ParisNetwork Rail are now urging passengers to check for the latest service information before they travel after earlier warning people to avoid making non-essential journeys.
Engineers worked overnight to repair damage at several locations after the temperature of steel tracks soared to up to 20C higher than the air temperature, while overhead power lines also suffered heat-related damage.
Apologising to commuters for delays and cancellations, Phil James, from Network Rail, said: "I want to say sorry to passengers for the disruption and discomfort they faced making their journeys yesterday.
He added: "Everything was done to keep trains moving where possible, and last night hundreds of staff were out fixing the damage and repairing the railway ready for today."
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