UK heatwave: New record as temperature hits 40.3C
The UK has recorded a temperature above 40C for the first time ever.
The mercury hit 40.2C (104.3F) at Heathrow at 12.50pm.
An hour later, the same temperature was reached in the Lincolnshire village of Coningsby. By 4.12pm, the temperature there had risen to 40.3C - the highest ever recorded in the UK.
Earlier in the day, 39.1C (102.3F) was recorded in Charlwood, Surrey - breaking the previous record of 38.7C (101.7F) set in 2019 at Cambridge Botanic Garden.
As of 5pm, 34 weather stations had exceeded the previous UK temperature record of 38.7C, and five had equalled it.
The heatwave has trigged a major incident in London due to a "huge surge" in fires.
The night-time temperature record was broken overnight, as Kenley in Surrey hit 25.8C (78.4F).
UK hotter than 98.8% of the planet - heatwave latest
The sweltering heat has already caused significant travel disruption, with Luton Airport forced to suspend flights on Monday because of a defect in the runway.
On Tuesday, police said a section of a dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire was left looking like a "skatepark" after it warped in the heat.
Find out the five-day forecast where you live
Rail users have been warned of delays and cancellations as the heat takes its toll on the country's infrastructure.
There will be no Thameslink or Great Northern trains running in any location north of London, from London Blackfriars via St Pancras, or from London King's Cross or London Moorgate.
Merseyrail said the number of trains running and journey times will be "seriously affected" and some routes closed completely.
LNER will run no trains from south of York and south of Leeds to London King's Cross.
Southern, Southeastern, South Western Railway and Great Western Railway are among the dozens of train companies running significantly reduced services across the country.
Transport for London (TfL) said London's rail network would also be running a reduced service due to safety restrictions put into place to deal with the heat.
'A pretty unprecedented day'
Rachel Ayers, a Met Office forecaster, said Tuesday will be "a pretty unprecedented day", with temperatures possibly reaching highs of 41C (105.8F) in spots in England.
Scotland and Wales could also see their hottest days on record.
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Heatwaves like the one we are experiencing this week will "repeat themselves and get more severe going forward in time", climate change expert Sir David King told Sky News.
Bob Ward, policy director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change, told Sky News that the UK "has got to stop thinking of itself as a cold country".
"In the summer months, we are now a hot country," he said.
"There is no excuse for the government's lack of preparedness for this kind of extreme heat event."
