The Met Office's amber extreme heat warning is active from 9am today until midnight, as the fifth heatwave of the year pushes temperatures in parts of the UK up to 38°C. London, the South East, East of England and East Midlands are expected to be most affected, with high temperatures persisting for the rest of the week. Heat health alerts covering all of England are also in place, as the heat is likely to impact health and wellbeing.
Rail disruption warnings issued
Several train companies have warned of likely disruption due to the weather, advising passengers to travel only if essential. Extreme heat can cause railway temperatures to exceed 50°C, leading to track buckling. As a result, speed restrictions may be in place on stretches of track in direct sun, and fewer trains may be scheduled.
Chiltern Railways is operating a reduced timetable between 11am and 8pm to ensure a 'reliable service' during 'the hottest part of the day'. Michael Stewart from Chiltern Railways said: 'If you do need to travel, please check your journey before setting out, allow extra time and carry water with you to stay hydrated.' He added that customers should travel 'only if it's essential on Thursday because of the exceptionally high temperatures forecast across our network'.
Affected rail operators
Train operators that have announced planned service changes this week include c2c, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, Great Western Railway, Northern, Transport for Wales, and West Midlands Railway. Today, off-peak services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street will run hourly, with some services between London Marylebone and Oxford cancelled. Chiltern Railways will not run any services from Birmingham Snow Hill after 10.15am, and shuttle services from Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street will run only until 11am.
Customers who no longer wish to travel can obtain full fee-free refunds from their point of purchase, or use tickets dated for tomorrow on Friday or Saturday. East Midlands Railway (EMR) has also advised only 'essential' journeys tomorrow, with regional services between Sheffield and Liverpool suspended on Thursday, and services between Nottingham and Worksop and between Nottingham and Leicester suspended after 12pm. Customers are encouraged to travel before midday where possible and to expect longer journeys and possible short-notice changes.
Heatwave context
Temperatures have not risen above 36.4°C in August for six years, with that figure recorded at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in 2020. Reports suggest 2026 is likely to be the hottest summer on record, while nearly three-quarters of England and all of Wales are in drought due to the driest July yet.
