30.3C recorded on hottest day of year
The UK has seen the hottest day of the year so far, the Met Office has confirmed.
The village of Frittenden, in Kent, hit 30.3C on Saturday and the forecasting body said temperatures are still rising.
Before now, Friday had seen the year’s warmest temperatures when highs of 28.4C were measured in Heathrow, Cambridge and Cranwell in Lincolnshire.
’28° in the UK is a heatwave. Seriously?’ says Kevin Pietersen
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has never been shy of straight talking.
He posted on X: “28° in the UK is a heatwave. Seriously?”
“Shut up, enjoy it and get on with it!”
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen
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The Met Office defines a heatwave as at least three consecutive days with daily maximum temperatures exceeding a county-specific threshold, which for London is currently 28C.
Pietersen, one of England’s most talented batsmen, was at times not known for keeping his cool.
But his stats speak for themselves.
He scored 8,181 runs at an average of 47 in 104 Tests.
Cut back on alcohol in hot weather, say NHS health chiefs
NHS bosses are warning people to reduce alcohol consumption in the hot weather.
The health service issued a series of tips as temperatures rise.
* Avoid alcohol, caffeine and hot drinks
* Have cold food and cold drinks to avoid dehydration
Health bosses say drink soft drinks rather than alcohol in a heatwave
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* Have a cool shower or put cool water on your skin or clothes
* Keep out of the heat if you can
* If you have to go outside, stay in the shade especially between 11am and 3pm
* Wear sunscreen, a hat and light clothes, and avoid exercise or activity that makes you hotter
Other advice to keep homes cool includes closing windows during the day and opening them at night when the temperature outside has gone down.
Seven second test on whether you should be walking your dog in a heatwave
Vets are warning dog owners to take special care of their pets as temperatures soar.
They have also explained a simple seven second test on whether people should be walking their dogs in hot temperatures.
“On extremely hot days, dogs will benefit from skipping a walk completely as evenings and early mornings are still hot enough to trigger heatstroke,” said Dr Rhian Littlehales, clinical governance director at Medivet & Partners.
As a simple test, she added: “If you’re not sure if the pavements are too hot, place the back of your hand on the ground for seven seconds,” she said.
“If you struggle to hold it down, it’s too hot to walk your dog.”
The vet group also outlined a series of signs that dogs may be suffering from heatstroke.
They include excessive panting, excessive thirst, very red gums, rapid heart rate, lethargy, vomiting or diarrhoea, as well as staggering, weakness or collapsing.
Fire near track on key London rail route hits services
Rail chiefs have warned that services through Woking, Surrey, a key hub on the network, may be cancelled, delayed or revised due to a fire near the tracks.
They stressed that the disruption could last until 6pm on Saturday.
Earlier in the day, South Western Railway had said that a fire near the track at Camberley had led to all lines being blocked.
Trains faced being cancelled, delayed or revised because of the blaze.
The London Fire Brigade has warned of the risk of wildfires as temperatures soar.
The fire chiefs stressed that a warm and wet winter, which had encouraged grass and plant growth, followed by a particularly dry April, had increased the risk of wildfires.
Holiday nightmare at Dover with new border checks
People heading to France from Britain were hit with delays of nearly five hours at Dover due to new EU border controls.
There were also queues of up to three hours for the Eurotunnel at Folkestone.
Travellers faced long delays at Dover due to the new EU border system
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Eurostar services at St Pancras International were not reported to have been impacted by the new border checks.
The situation at Dover became so bad that the French authorities agreed to ease frontier controls.
The delays were caused by the new EES border check system which involves people having their fingerprints registered and photograph taken.
Key French technology for the new system has not yet been fully implemented at Dover.
‘Good chance’ May temperature record will be broken
Nick Finnis, a forecaster for Netweather, reckons there’s a “good chance” the May temperature record of 32.8C, which was set in 1922 and 1944, will be broken in the coming days. .
Check on fellow Londoners who may be struggling in the heat, urges Sir Sadiq Khan
Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has shared a message on X calling on Londoners to keep an eye on other people who may be heavily impacted by the heatwave.
Tourists swelter in heat at Buckingham Palace
Pictures are coming in of tourists enjoying the gorgeous weather at Buckingham Palace – where the temperature is expected to reach 25C in the next hour.
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Mercury reaches 24C at 11am
It’s certainly hotting up. The temperature reached 24C at 11am in London, according to the Met Office.
