Commuters endure nightmare trips home as 35C heatwave causes train chaos and turns carriages into furnaces – and it’s going to be hotter tomorrow
COMMUTERS' tonight endured journeys home from hell as trains were left like furnaces in the 35C heat - and it's going to get warmer on Furnace Friday tomorrow.
Brits baked in temperatures hotter than Med sun spots Greece, Italy and the South of France as the UK was the warmest country in Europe.
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- Highs of 35C recorded in Heathrow today on the UK's hottest day of the year - topping everywhere else in Europe
- Mercury is set to climb to 37C tomorrow on Furnace Friday - with potential to beat hottest day EVER recorded
- London commuters suffered in the blistering heat as they travelled home on the hottest day of the year
- Eurotunnel travellers endured five hour waits after air-conditioning units failed - with delays set to continue overnight and tomorrow
- Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for torrential downpours expected to hit parts of Britain this afternoon and tomorrow
- Dozens of Greater Anglia trains have been cancelled or delayed over the rush hour due to speed restrictions brought in for the heat
- Chiltern trains have been rescheduled between Oxford and London due to high track temperatures
- Holidaymakers were forced to wait more than three hours to board the Eurotunnel today
- Roads have been shut off after tarmac melted in the blazing sun
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan triggered a 'high' pollution alert for the capital
- Blood stocks are dwindling with Brits too dehydrated to donate
The scorching weather wreaked travel chaos on Britain's roads and rails, with a number of services delayed or cancelled - as people battled to get home amid the uncomfortable temperatures.
Multiple rush-hour trains out of London were cancelled today, as London Underground passengers told of hellish conditions.
As temperatures near record-breaking heights nurses reported feeling exhausted and faint, as they tried to cope with the blistering heatwave in hospitals.
And Eurotunnel today told passengers to expect tortuous five hour delays to continue overnight and into tomorrow after air conditioning units packed up.
Customers were told ferry companies do not have the capacity to take any of its customers and were offered full refunds if they chose to cancel.
Meanwhile the heat wreaked havoc on roads such as the A30 in Somerset, which was shut both ways after MELTING in the blazing sun.
The travel nightmare comes as Mayor Sadiq Khan said high temperatures combined with the capital's "toxic air, a lack of cloud cover and emissions travelling from the continent" had led to a "high" pollution alert in London and a "public health crisis".
Frustrated parents felt the heat today, with reporting they'd been forced to pick up their kids early from nursery.
And blood supplies have dropped during the driest heatwave in 60 years, with some donors too dehydrated to donate.
Tomorrow the mercury is set to reach 37C - with a chance of temperatures exceeding the 38.5C record.
Forecasters predicted the heat would trigger "heavy thunderstorms" this afternoon that will linger well into the evening, while torrential downpours tomorrow could hit parts of Britain with as much as 30mm of rain in just an hour.
Amid gruelling 12-hour shifts, Kim Sunley, national officer at the RCN, said: "Nurses are now becoming patients themselves due to the heat."
Ms Sunley said nurses had reported "exhaustion, sickness and dizziness", with one reporting being taken to A&E suffering from dehydration.
Children, the elderly and those with lung or heart problems have been advised to reduce strenuous exercise - as a Commons study revealed heat-related deaths could triple by 2050.
A worrying report from the parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee said without a fresh strategy the numbers dying from the heat could rise to 7,000 a year.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has been urged to set out what measures he is taking to make sure the NHS can cope with the temperatures - as experts say the killer heatwaves could become the new normal.
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said hospitals are facing year-round pressures, saying "the traditional lull in NHS activity during the quieter summer months is a thing of the past".
Thunderstorms could provide a brief interruption to tomorrow's searing heat after the Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for torrential downpours.
These are set to be accompanied by hail and strong gusts on Friday afternoon and into the evening, has been extended to cover the south east of England, as well as northern and eastern parts of the country.
How can I cool down in the hot weather?
BRITS have been baking in sweltering temperatures for weeks now - and the heat looks like it won't be relenting anytime soon...
It's been a struggle to stay cool for many Brits as the temperature skyrockets.
The last few weeks have seen the mercury rise to uncomfortably high levels as the UK is gripped by a number of heatwaves.
As we near record-breaking temperatures and health warnings are issued, we have pulled together some handy tips to stay cool:
- Place a bowl or tray of ice in front of a blowing fan - your room will become cooler as the ice melts
- Keep blinds and curtains closed during the day as a preventative measure to stop your room from overheating
- Try and stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm as this is the point when the sun is at its hottest
- Eat smaller meals more regularly, as your body warms up when you tackle larger meals
- Wear cotton and lightweight clothing to keep cooler as the temperature rises
- Make sure to always carry water with you to keep hydrated and avoid the risk of heat stroke
- Wash your wrists or feet with cold water before you go to bed to help cool off and have a more pleasant night sleep
Scientists have warned that climate change is making such heat extremes more likely, and the report comes as northern Europe swelters in a prolonged heatwave.
Wildfires in Greece have claimed the lives of at least 80 people, including Irishman Brian O'Callaghan-Westropp, who was there on honeymoon.
He and his new wife Zoe Holohan, who is in hospital after suffering burns to her head and hands, had flown to Greece on Saturday following their wedding in Co Meath two days earlier.
An amber "heat health watch" warning remains in place for parts of England, with people being warned to try to stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
Public Health England have even advised Brits not to use electric fans in temperatures above 35C - as the blades could just move the hot air onto the user.
Following the driest first half of summer on record, farming leaders warned crops are being hit and livestock are having to be fed with feed that should be held for winter as grasslands are parched.
The dry spell has been most prolonged in East Anglia and south-east England where the last day of very widespread rainfall was seen on May 29.
Firefighters have urged the public to avoid "careless and reckless" behaviour during the ongoing heatwave as crews across the country deal with a high number of field fires.
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The thunderstorms could lead to flooding of homes and businesses, difficult driving conditions and potential power cuts, the Met Office warned.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have been experiencing recent temperatures nearer normal for the time of year.
Paul Gundersen, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, said: "If you're looking for somewhere to escape the heat, western and northern areas will have pleasantly warm mid 20s Celsius, although across Northern Ireland and western Scotland this may be accompanied by occasionally cloudy skies."
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