Britain on course for hottest day on record

Britain is on course for its hottest day on record today with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time. An extreme heat warning is already in place for tomorrow also in much of England.

It has forced train companies to cancel services and heath authorities to put more ambulances on standby. The remaining parts of the Britain, the Wales and parts of Scotland are under amber alert for high temperature.

Meanwhile, much of Europe is baking in a heat-wave that has pushed temperatures into the mid-40s Celsius in some regions, with wildfires raging across tinder-dry countryside in Portugal, Spain and France.

Britain's



government triggered a "national emergency" alert as temperatures were forecast to surpass the 38.7 Centigrade recorded in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019.

London's Underground metro network imposed temporary speed restrictions on the network for today and tomorrow, meaning it would run a reduced service with journeys taking longer than normal.

It urged commuters to only travel if essential. The national rail network also urged passengers to stay at home, and said some services - including a key route between northeastern England and London - would not run during parts of Tuesday.