UK weather live: Heatwave brings thunderstorms and floods as flights cancelled

UK weather live: Met Office reveals which areas face record-breaking temperature Brits are facing several days of heatwave conditions this week with a red warning in place from the Met Office, which has said the UK could see temperatures above 40C The Met Office has named which areas could see "possible" record heatwave temperatures above 40C. A “heat-dome” over the country is leading to stifling conditions, with the hottest weather expected in London and the South East, according to the Met Office. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge, said: “The Met Office is flagging 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East. Forecast temperature values are indicative and are subject to a slight range either side. It is possible we could see temperatures higher than the 39C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range" Temperatures could soar above the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C which was measured in July 2022. Key Events The Met Office said temperatures could reach 39C on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East, with higher temperatures “possible”. Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge, said: “The Met Office is flagging 39C as a headline maximum temperature on Thursday, most likely for somewhere in London or the South East. “Forecast temperature values are indicative and are subject to a slight range either side. It is possible we could see temperatures higher than the 39C if the final values are at the upper end of our narrow range. “It is important to remember that the temperature value is only one element of this extreme heatwave story. The other major factor is the high humidity which for many will make the intense heat even harder to endure.” Travellers are facing disruption with the closure of a King's Cross St. Pancras station due to a fire alert amid stifling temperatures. Transport for London said the tube station has been shut due to the incident. It stated on X: "King's Cross St. Pancras - This station is closed while we respond to a fire alert." The fire alert comes as a “heat-dome” could bring temperatures of up to 40C by Wednesday, with this latest heatwave expected to surpass the record for June set in Hampshire in 1976. The RAC said it is dealing with 10% more breakdowns than usual at this time of year but it anticipates that demand will “increase significantly as temperatures peak”. RAC breakdown spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Our patrols are currently dealing with 10% more breakdowns than we would normally see on a Tuesday at this point in the summer, but we’re expecting demand to increase significantly as temperatures peak, possibly at record levels, over the next few days. “And, as rail services have been reduced due to the heat, more people are likely to take to the roads, adding to the traffic and increasing the risk of vehicles overheating. “Anyone driving a vehicle that’s overdue a service is running the risk of breaking down in scorching heat which could prove to be extremely dangerous. Carrying an emergency kit in case of getting stuck at the side of the road is essential. “This should include plenty of water, sunscreen, a large umbrella to protect from the sun and portable battery pack to keep mobile phones charged.” A satellite map from the Met Office shows temperatures climbing this afternoon with the hottest area set to be in the south east. It states: "Another hot and humid afternoon for many with intense sunshine. Turning cloudier in the far northwest later with spots of rain. An extreme heat warning remains in force for much of England and Wales." A woman has tragically died after suffering a medical emergency on a popular Southbourne beach in Dorset on Monday, according to Dorset Police. A force spokesman said that emergency services attended at 2.21pm on June 22 but the woman was shortly after pronounced dead at the scene. He said: “Her next of kin is aware and the coroner has been notified. The death is not being treated as suspicious.” London Fire Brigade said it had responded to around 400 calls overnight, including two house fires believed to be caused by lightning strikes and flooding of homes. Thunderstorms following soaring temperatures caused flash flooding in the capital, the LFB said as it urged drivers not to drive through flooded areas. Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “It has been a very busy night for our control officers, firefighters and officers. Shortly after 4am, due to a large number of calls received by the brigade, we implemented our high-volume call procedure which means flooding calls where there is a risk to life are prioritised and crews then attend other calls as non-emergencies when they can. “Operation Willow Beck was also temporarily stood up. Introduced in 2022 nationally by the Home Office and National Chiefs Fire Council, this is a pre-determined 999 call distribution procedure, which during times of extreme demand, can divert surplus emergency calls to unaffected fire and rescue service control rooms. I’d like to thank all of those colleagues in other fire rescue services who assisted us overnight, as well as our own staff for their hard work and professionalism during this busy period." Millions of people across France woke up drenched in sweat on Tuesday after another night of scorching heat, with most of the population exposed to extreme and exceptional temperatures. Temperatures will remain exceptionally high around the clock as the national weather service, Meteo France, placed 54 departments under a red heat wave alert. That is about half of the country. In a country without widespread air-conditioning, schools, trains and sporting events remain impacted, while some 20 drowning deaths have been reported since the weekend. "Sunshine continues to dominate across France, maintaining oppressive and exhausting heat throughout the country," Meteo France said. Extreme conditions are expected to last at least until the end of the week, with daytime highs above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in many towns. "Further record-breaking temperatures are expected, including some that could surpass all previous records, regardless of the time of year," Meteo France said. Parts of the UK had a tropical night where temperatures didn't drop below 20C and the conditions are only going to get more extreme into the middle of the week. The Met Office states: "The heat will build further into Tuesday, with highs of 37°C forecast for southern England and 35°C in southeast Wales. The peak of the heatwave is now forecast for Wednesday and Thursday, when temperatures are expected to climb to at least 39°C and there remains a chance of this being exceeded in places. "By Friday conditions will be less hot, with highs of 32°C forecast across eastern areas. Overnight temperatures will also be very high, with widespread Tropical Nights, where the temperature does not drop below 20°C, across parts of England and Wales, especially in urban areas. "Humidity is also a factor, making this heatwave even more impactful with heat stress a danger to all." A house in Bristol has been pictured engulfed in flames after being struck by lightning during a thunderstorm. The roof was completely alight after being hit by the lightning bolt during ferocious storms which affected the south of the UK overnight. An eyewitness reported that fire crews arrived promptly to the house in the Emerson's Green area of Bristol and confirmed that all occupants escaped unharmed. The Met Office has shared a satellite map showing storm clouds over the UK this morning in the southeast of the country. More than 23,000 lightning strikes have been recorded and there has been torrential rain overnight across the south. Met Office forecaster Alex Burkill says: "Currently there is high pressure to the east of us and it's this that is shifting a little bit further away allowing for hotter air to come in from the south as we go through Wednesday and Thursday and that is when we are likely to see the peak of this heat. "But don't forget we still have an amber extreme heat warning across many parts of England and Wales today because we are going to see some very warm, hot conditions with high humidity as well." Transport for London warned customers of possible disruption to rail and Tube services, saying rail temperatures could lead to temporary speed restrictions and reduced services. Claire Mann, TfL’s chief operating officer, said: “Customers should be aware that, given the very high temperatures that are forecast, we are likely to see some disruption to rail and Tube services – with rail temperatures likely to lead to temporary speed restrictions and therefore reduced services in some cases. “This will vary by line, with some services that share parts of the overground rail network – like the Overground and the Elizabeth line – likely to be more affected.” She added: “We expect bus services to run as normal although, during periods of hotweather, we are encouraging customers to carry water with them when they travel on any of our services.” Passengers on Network Rail have been told they should “only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday”. Jake Kelly, deputy chief executive of Network Rail, said: “Extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway, so safety must come first. “We’re asking passengers to check before travelling on Tuesday, and only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to, from or within the red warning zone as temperatures are expected to peak. “If you do need to travel in this area or outside of it where it will still be hot, please plan ahead, allow extra time and take necessary precautions, such as carrying water, to stay safe. We thank passengers for their patience and understanding during this period.” The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said it has written to all its members with guidance on dealing with the heat this week, including the impact on pupils and staff, legal positions and when to consider closure. Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “While there is no legal ‘upper limit’ for temperature in schools, (school leaders) will certainly be doing all they can to mitigate the effects of such high temperatures.” As well as those schools closing, some will remain open until lunchtime on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, including Pewsey Vale School, Dilton Marsh Primary and Malmesbury School in Wiltshire, Ditton Park Academy in Slough, Berkshire, The Bulmershe School in Reading, Berkshire, Cheam High School in Surrey and Sydenham School in London. A house suffered serious fire damage after being struck by lightning. The roof and first floor of the home in Bristol was ablaze following the strike during a thunderstorm on Monday night. One neighbour posted said: “We are in the next road and the explosion was quite something. We knew something had been hit as soon as it happened and then saw the smoke. I’m so glad no one was injured.” Avon Fire & Rescue Service said a fire broke out on Wadham Grove just before 6pm. A fire service spokesperson said: “Upon arrival, crews found the house well alight.'' Crews from Kingswood, Temple, Southmead, Patchway and Portishead headed to Emersons Green to fight the blaze. Videos posted on social media showed flames enveloping most of the roof and black smoke billowing into the sky. Scores of schools across England and Wales announced they would close or finish early this week to protect pupils amid the extreme heat. The Buckingham School in Buckinghamshire said it will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday, and asked students to take part in online learning. In a statement on its website on Monday, the school said: “Because most of our buildings cannot be cooled adequately and there is little shade outside, we have taken the difficult decision to close the school site on both days (Wednesday and Thursday). All trips and other scheduled activities are also cancelled.” The school, which has around 1,200 students until sixth form, said teachers will upload work online for pupils to complete. St John’s Marlborough in Wiltshire said it will close early on Tuesday and be shut all day on Wednesday and Thursday before re-opening on Friday. The Dorcan Academy in Swindon, Wiltshire, said on-site learning will finish at 11.30am on Tuesday and the school will remain closed on Wednesday and Thursday. Other schools in Sutton in south London and Haringey in north London have also been forced to close from Tuesday to Thursday. Parents and carers can check if schools are open on their local council website, which can be accessed via this postcode checker here. Passengers have been warned of travel restrictions on Southeastern trains due to the storms overnight. A statement on X read: "NEW: With ongoing thunderstorms and heavy rain in a number of areas, speed restrictions have been imposed in many places across the network as a precaution. Trains are continuing to run on all routes but your journey may take longer than expected." A latest update said that while the speed restrictions have been removed, their may still be delays. It wrote: "UPDATE: The majority of the speed restrictions have been removed across our network. Trains may still be delayed or revised as we work to recover the service. #SEDisruption." Hundreds of homes in Bristol Shepton Mallet and Glastonbury were left without power because of the storms, according to the National Grid. More than 23,000 lightning strikes have been recorded and the Met Office said up to 35mm of rain fell in just a short period across parts of Somerset. One person sharing footage of lightning said the storm had been going on for two hours. He wrote on X: "It’s 3.45am in London and it’s been thunderstorming for almost two straight hours. One of the biggest and longest storms I can remember in my almost 35 years in this city." With schools around the country closing due to the weather, the situation may be a stressful one for parents who have to work and have not arranged any childcare. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees have the right to take time off for emergencies involving dependants, known as dependant leave. Lara Kennedy, an employment lawyer at Leigh Day, told ITV News: “We need to bear in mind that this can go beyond children. It could be a spouse or someone else that we're looking after." Dependant leave covers sudden disruptions to childcare, including schools or nurseries closing at short notice, such as during severe weather. Households in London woke up to deafening claps and bright strikes during the night as a storm hit. The Met Office warned 18 UK areas could see "frequent lightning, gusty winds, torrential rain" and even hail. And many people commented on the storms with some claiming it was the "loudest" they had ever known. One person wrote on X: "It’s 3.45am in London and it’s been thunderstorming for almost two straight hours. One of the biggest and longest storms I can remember in my almost 35 years in this city." Another said: "Was woken around 3:30am by the loudest clap of thunder I’ve ever known. The lightning, rain and thunder were like something off a horror movie. That lightning must have hit something very close to me." And further stated: "Massive thunderstorm in London sounded like an explosion and woke me up at 3AM. How is it raining heavily and it’s still so damn HOT." Severe flooding hit London overnight as thunderstorms broke out. Similar scenes also developed in Bristol. Thunderstorms battered the south of England overnight with heavy rain and flash floods. One person sharing footage of torrential rain in Ruislip wrote: "This storm is something else. I had a job down at Ruislip earlier and this rain and lighting is insane. I’ve not seen anything like this in years in London. I’ve not seen flash flooding this bad in Ruislip in quite a few years." London’s transport network has been hit hard, with the Circle line suspended and severe delays on the Hammersmith & City line, as well as parts of the District line shut and the Elizabeth line experiencing significant delays. Part of the Elizabeth line between Heathrow Terminal 4 and Terminals 2 and 3 has been suspended as heavy rain batters the capital. "No service between Heathrow Terminals 2&3 and and Heathrow Terminal 4 due to flooding caused by heavy rain," TfL said on its website. There are minor delays on the entire Elizabeth line due to a points failure at Southall. There are severe delays between Whitechapel and Shenfield this morning. There was no service on the London Tramlink between Sandilands and Elmers End/Beckenham Junction due to the flooding. All flights were grounded from Bristol Airport, according to traffic monitoring site Inrix. Passengers are being urged to contact their airline and to check before they travel amid thunderstorms. The airport’s website stated: “Following the earlier electrical storm, Bristol Airport remains closed to arriving and departing aircraft whilst engineers investigate a fault with Air Traffic Control systems. “Customers should contact their airline with any specific flight queries.” A red weather warning for extreme heat covering an area stretching from London to Swansea and Somerset to Birmingham was issued by the Met Office from 9am on Wednesday to 9pm on Thursday. These are reserved for the most severe events, the Met Office said, meaning this heatwave is expected to bring “severe and significant impacts” including widespread health risks for many, not just those who are normally more vulnerable to the heat, and even danger to life. National Grid warn that the extreme heat is likely to cause power cuts. A spokesperson said: "High temperatures are forecast across our regions this week. "Our teams are ready around the clock, and if your power goes off, we will work to get it back on as safely and as quickly as we can." The Met Office have urged Brits to be ready for any power loss, by preparing kits with essential items, and making sure vulnerable people who live nearby are looked after. A “heat-dome” settling over western Europe could bring temperatures of up to 40C in some parts of England and Wales in the middle part of the week, the Met Office has said. Temperatures for the latest heatwave are likely to overtake the June record set in Hampshire in 1976 by several degrees and could come close to the UK’s all-time high of 40.3C which was measured in July 2022. The hot conditions, which have been very rare in the UK until now, will be accompanied by high humidity and very warm nights, which will make it hard for people to recover overnight, the forecaster warned. Would-be train passengers in the West Midlands have been warned that they should only travel if absolutely essential over the coming days. The warning is in effect from 9am on Wednesday, June 24 until 9pm on Thursday, June 25, covering Birmingham, Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The entire West Midlands region is also subject to a red health warning issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). Jake Kelly, deputy chief executive of Network Rail, said: "Extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway, so safety must come first. "We're asking passengers to check before travelling on Tuesday, and only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to, from or within the red warning zone as temperatures are expected to peak." So far 86 schools have announced closures ahead of the socrching heat. Some schools across England and Wales will close or finish early to protect pupils amid the extreme heat. Schools in the South West, South East, London and Buckinghamshire are among those to announce that they won't be open. However, some schools will still be expecting children to attend lessons, just virtually. - Sydenham School, London - Cranbourne School, Basingstoke - Eggar’s School, Alton - Grateley Primary School, Grateley - Swanmore College, Swanmore - Creswood Community School, Eastleigh - Harrow Way Community School, Andover - The Bulmershe School, Reading - Cheam High School, Surrey - The Hurst School, Tadley - Reading School, Reading - King’s Academy Prospect, Reading - St. Crispins, Wokingham - The Willows Primary School, Newbury - Churchend Primary School, Reading - Ditton Park Academy, Slough - Silverwood School, Wiltshire - Wren Academy, Enfield - Kingdown School, Warminster - Clarendon Academy, Trowbridge - Pewsey Vale School, Pewsey - Dilton Marsh Primary, Westbury - Kingsholm Primary, Gloucester - St Michael’s School, Larkhill - Isebrook School, Kettering - Woodland Middle School Academy, Flitwick (only for year 7 and 8) - The Dorcan Academy, Swindon - St John’s Marlborough School, Marlborough - Malmesbury School, Wiltshire - Finlay Community School, Gloucester - Archway School, Stroud - New Close School, Warminster - St Michael's Academy, Somerset - Piggot C of E School, Wargrave - Radstock Primary School, Earley - Maiden Erlegh School, Reading - Willow Bank Infant School, Woodley - South Lake Primary School, Woodley - River Academy, Reading - Katesgrove Primary School, Reading - Beechwood Primary School, Woodley - Gerrards Cross CofE School - Hughenden Primary School - Princes Risborough Primary School - Ley Hill School - Farnham Common Infant School - Chalfonts Community College - Denham Village School - Haydon Abbey School and Pre-School - Dropmore Infant School - Kingsbrook View Academy - Iver Heath Junior School - Misbourne School - The Iver Heath Infant School and Nursery - Farnham Common Junior School - Overstone Combined School - Marsworth Church of England Infant School - Brookmead School Bourton - Meadow Academy - The Steeple Claydon School - Buckinghamshire Primary Pupil Referral Unit - Bierton Church of England Combined School - Turnfurlong Infant School - Great Kingshill Church of England Combined School - Great Kimble Church of England School - Aylesbury Vale Academy - Weston Turville Church of England School - Disraeli School and Children's Centre - Iver Village Junior School - St Mary's Farnham Royal CofE Primary School - Green Ridge Primary Academy - Orchard View Primary Academy - Ivingswood Academy - Chepping View Primary Academy - Kite Ridge School - Chalfont Valley E-ACT Primary Academy - Waddesdon Village Primary School - Wooburn Green Primary School - Quainton Church of England School - Oakridge School - Denham Green E-Act Primary Academy - Waterside Primary Academy - Waddesdon Church of England School - Filton Avenue Nursery School - Fairfield High School - Elmfield School For Deaf Children