As temperatures soar we look at UK weather extremes and ask can Britain cope with a heatwave? Warnings of train delays, wildfires and health risks
Bookies cut the odds on this being the hottest August EVER
THE BRILLIANT sunshine Brits are basking in is set to make today the hottest August 24 ever.
As records are broken we look at the UK's most extreme temperatures and ask can Brits cope in a heatwave?
The dazzling sunshine is great if your lucky enough to be on holiday, relaxing in your garden or at the beach... but the rest of us may hit a few problems.
The inability if Brits to cope any weather condition outside of showers and grey clouds is the subject of many jokes, but is there any truth in it?
Here's what you can expect today.
Trains may be moving a bit slower.
Network Rail imposes speed restrictions when hot temperatures put rails at risk of buckling.
If a track does buckle the line has to be closed while it's repaired - something rail chiefs are keen to avoid.
A spokesman said that in the past temperatures as high as today's have seen train speeds reduced and Network Rail is monitoring the situation to see if this will be necessary.
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Traffic will probably also be slower on the roads.
At temperatures above 27C road surfaces begin to soften and drivers are advised to slow down.
In 2013 police actually closed part of the M25 because the road surface melted.
Health advice has also be issued.
Hot weather can kill and the NHS has advised avoiding the sun during the hottest part of the day, keeping hydrated, wearing loose cool clothing and checking on friends and relatives.
British weather records
The last time Britain exceeded 31C in 2013, when the temperature hit 34.1C on August 1.
The hottest day on record is 38.5C recorded in Kent on August 10 2003.
The hottest day of 2016 was July 19 when the mercury reached 33.5C in Oxfordshire.
The lowest temperature recorded in the UK was -27.2C recorded in Aberdeenshire on January 10 1982 and in Sutherland on December 30 1995.
The most amount of rain to fall in 24-hours was 279mm, which fell on July 18 1955 in Dorset.
The sunniest month on record is July 1911 when Sussex enjoyed 383.9 hours of sunshine
Wildfires are also a real risk.
Last week fire chiefs warned that Britain is at 'high risk' of wildfires due to scorching temperatures.
In high temperatures a Puffing Billy steam train set a cornfield ablaze as it chugged along a heritage railway line in Oxfordshire.
Nearly 40 firefighters were called to the blaze after sparks from the engine landed in a field next to the track.
On top of all that, Ladbrokes has cut the odds of a hosepipe ban to 5/1.
The soaring temperatures of today is not expected to last into the bank holiday weekend, when temperatures of 21C to 25C are forecast.
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