36.7C recorded at Heathrow, making London hotter than Miami, LA and Rome, as roads melt, trains delayed and extra water points allowed at Wimbledon

Britain experienced its warmest July day on record as roads melted, trains were delayed, and bottled water was handed out to truck drivers caught in huge tailback on the M20 due to the Calais strike.

Heathrow was the hotspot – both politically and physically – as the mercury clocked 36.7C, the highest in July since records began in the mid 1870s with the introduction of standardised thermometer exposure, and edging out Wisley, Surrey, which saw 36.5C in 2006.



Parts of the UK – which was on a Level 3 “heatwave action” health alert – had higher temperatures than in Barcelona, Ibiza and Athens as the Met Office weather map was a rainbow hue of purple (very very hot), red (very hot) and orange (just hot) .



Paris and Madrid proved hotter, recording 39C and 37C respectively.



Extra water points were laid on at Wimbledon as the championships experienced the hottest day in its history at 35.7C, topping the 34.6C seen during the scorching summer of 1976. A ball boy collapsed and was taken to hospital, while Judy Murray added her voice to calls for a “heat rule” for male players to bring them into line with rules of female players. Bookmaker William Hill offered odds of play being suspended because of heat, rather than the traditional rain, of 10/1.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest Members of the Serpentine Swimming Club enjoy some early morning exercise in Hyde Park. Photograph: Rob Stothard/Getty Images

Public Health England (PHE) warned people to avoid physical exertion and drink plenty of water amid fears the hot weather could result in deaths



Independent Age, a charity representing older people, called for vigilance, asking people to check on elderly neighbours and relatives who may be more susceptible to heat stroke, heat exhaustion and dehydration. Centra Pulse, which provides personal alarms and fall detector sensors to vulnerable people, said it was receiving more than 500 calls an hour, compared with the usual average of 300. Employers were urged to allow vulnerable workers to stagger their journeys to and from work to avoid overcrowded trains.

Dr Angie Bone, head of extreme events at PHE, said: “During very hot weather, pregnant women and people who have chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular, respiratory, renal conditions, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease, may experience discomfort if indoor temperatures are particularly hot and in using public transport.



“Employers should ensure indoor areas are kept cool and consider allowing these individuals to travel to and from their place of work during cooler, or less busy times of the day.”



After a sticky night, Britain is set to remain warm until Thursday. A Met Office spokeswoman said: “Unlikely that any temperature records will continue to be broken but it is still going to be warm. On Thursday, we see temperatures dip slightly – by three or four degrees. Then Friday it goes back up again, though not quite as warm as today.



“Whereas parts of London and the south-east have seen those low 30s today, 30C might be the max. So we’re warming up again, but not quite as warm.” Wednesday was likely to have been the peak day for this spell of warm weather, she added.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Members of the coastguard hand out water to stranded lorry drivers on the M20 in Ashford. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

The AA warned of disruption as roads melted. A spokesman said it had been extremely busy, and received anecdotal reports from patrols of road surfaces softening, including one man who put the stand down on his motorbike and it sank into the tarmac.



Truck drivers stuck on the M20 in 33C heat due to the ferry workers strike closing Calais were given bottled water by Kent county council as part of Operation Stack, helped by Dover coastguard.



Wilting rail passengers were grateful for bottled water handed out by Great Anglia Trains at its major stations, including Ipswich and Norwich. Network Rail warned of delays due to fears of buckled track, and were putting speed restrictions in place at vulnerable spots.

“We are maintaining track temperatures and if necessary putting in speed restrictions so we can protect vulnerable places and keep trains moving,” said a spokesman. “There will be delays but they might not be significant”.

In the House of Commons, male journalists were given permission from the speaker, John Bercow, to abandon the dress code of jackets and ties, though the same courtesy was not extended to male MPs.



At a service of commemoration for D-day heroes at Hayling Island seafront attended by Prince Charles, a soldier fainted on the shingle beach. London Ambulance Service reported a 28% rise in the number of calls compared with last week due to people suffering breathing problems and fainting.

On its website, Defra warned of high air pollution levels in parts of East Anglia. “People with lung disease, children, the elderly and people who are active outdoors may be particularly sensitive to ozone and may begin to notice respiratory symptoms, such as coughing and throat irritation,” it said.

North of the border in Scotland, temperatures approached record levels in some parts. The village of Kinloss in Moray saw 29.4C and Aviemore in the Highlands recorded 29C. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Scotland was 32.9C on 9 August 2003. Laura Young from the Met Office said: “I doubt we are going to beat that but certainly we will get near.”



Fresh warnings of the dangers of outdoor swimming in the heatwave were prompted after the body of a man was recovered from Alton Water reservoir in Tattingstone, Suffolk, on Tuesday evening.

























