
Last rays of summer feared as British families make the most of the sun as temperatures start falling from 33.2C high of Saturday
The last rays of summer may well now have shone as British families make the most of the sun as temperatures start falling from Saturday's 33.2C high.
The nation has had to hold on to its hats today as 'fresher' and 'breezy' conditions swept in after the hottest day of the year so far came yesterday.
The record-breaking high was measured in the village of Charlwood in Surrey - meaning Brits there enjoyed sun hotter than in both Tenerife and Ibiza.
The popular holiday destinations saw comparatively measly 28C and 30C peaks respectively yesterday, according to available Met Office data.
But the mercury has not hit quite such sizzling highs, with still pleasant top temperatures of 28C predicted, for lucky sun-chasers in the south east.
The cooler temperatures come after thunderstorms swept across parts of the country overnight, including north England and south-east Scotland.
Some areas saw up to 25mm of rain in just one hour - with Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland among the wettest places, sodden by 31.1mm of rainfall overnight.
Met Office meteorologist Marco Petagna said today: 'It's not as warm as yesterday but [temperatures are] still well above where they should be in the south east.
'Elsewhere, there's a fresher feel, quite breezy as well so most places, high teens, low 20s for temperatures.'
Consider shutting those open windows this evening too as showers are set to hit again, even in the balmy south east potentially.
He continued: 'It could turn a bit chilly in Scotland, down to three or four degrees in some rural spots.'
But never fear, summer lovers: 'For most places, temperatures, certainly towns and cities, generally holding up in double figures.
'But a fresher feel compared to what we've had recent nights.'
As the new week begins, the sun will again beat down most on the south east tomorrow, as the region enjoys highs of up to 25C.
Elsewhere, temperatures will be around the high teens and low 20s - no cause for concern and actually 'near-average' for the time of year, Mr Petagna added.
Into later next week, conditions again look 'changeable', with 'most areas' seeing rain at points.
The south east will again be very warm around Tuesday and Wednesday, with the mercury possibly hitting the high twenties.
But as the heat builds, that could equally lead to some thundery downpours - so keep both the beach parasol and the brolly close at hand.
It comes after experts shockingly predicted around 570 people could die due to the heat from Thursday to Sunday this week gone.
Researchers the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London used decades of UK data to predict excess mortality during the hot temperatures over the four days.
The excess deaths were estimated to peak at 266 yesterday when the heat will be at its most intense, according to the study.
London was predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths at 129.
It highlights how extreme heat poses a growing threat to public health in the UK, the experts said.
Yesterday, Britain was as hot as the likes of Barbados and Corfu - and was actually hotter than Barcelona and Lisbon.
But forecasters at the Met Office warned much of the UK would be soaked as soon as 5pm yesterday evening as the humid aftermath of the heatwave looked set to result in a downpour.
This week has already seen thermometers surpass 30C across much of the UK, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland all recording their warmest days of the year on Friday.
That blistering heat intensified yesterday, which was the official end of spring, an occasion which was marked at Stonehenge yesterday morning.
Thousands of people watched the sunrise over the monument to celebrate the summer solstice.
Those who gathered for the spectacle in Wiltshire braved a warm start to the morning as they marked the year's longest day.
Temperatures in Salisbury and Greater London reached 18C by 5am.
The Met Office confirmed Yeovilton in Somerset and Crosby in Merseyside recorded the highest overnight temperatures in England, both reaching 19.7C by 6am on yesterday.
Towns in Cumbria and Lancashire also recorded temperatures above 19C.
An amber heat-health alert for all regions in England remains in place until tomorrow - but a warning for thunder has also been issued.
Spanning the north Midlands to Northumberland, including north-east Wales, downpours, hail, lightning and gusty winds were predicted from 5pm yesterday until the early hours of today.
The Met Office warned of 'sudden flooding' which could see communities 'cut off', transport disruption and power cuts.
It follows a World Weather Attribution (WWA) research group study published on Friday which found the heatwave has been made around 100 times more likely and 2-4C hotter due to climate change.
Dr Garyfallos Konstantinoudis, lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London, said: 'Heatwaves are silent killers - people who lose their lives in them typically have pre-existing health conditions and rarely have heat listed as a contributing cause of death.
'This real-time analysis reveals the hidden toll of heatwaves and we want it to help raise the alarm.
'Heatwaves are an underappreciated threat in the UK and they're becoming more dangerous with climate change.'
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
The Met Office confirmed 'many places' in England and 'one or two areas' in Wales, including Cardiff, entered a heatwave on Friday.
There were also very high UV and pollen levels across the country yesterday, the forecaster said.
The amber heat-health alert, issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023, is in force until 9am tomorrow.
It warns 'significant impacts are likely' across health and social care services because of high temperatures, including a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or people with health conditions.
Following the hot weather, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) urged the public to take heat and water safety seriously.
During 2022's heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital.
Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: 'Heat is no longer just a holiday perk - it's a growing public health risk.
'We're seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities.
Dog walkers enjoy the sun at Greenwich Park in front of the National Maritime Museum with the Canary Wharf financial district in the distance in London today
'Warm weather can also be deceptive when it comes to going for a dip.
'While the air may feel hot, water temperatures often remain dangerously cold, which can lead to cold-water shock, even in summer.'
The warnings proved all too prescient yesterday as terrified passengers had to be freed from stuck Thameslink trains by transport police, forced to walk on the tracks to safety in sizzling heat.
Enraged customers travelling on the London services said they felt like they were being 'slow cooked' in 'an oven' as the services came to a halt with no air conditioning or ventilation.
Three trains were stopped due to faults and image showed one service heading south through London being evacuated on what was the hottest day of the year so far.
One commuter wrote on social media: '[Thameslink] you will have hell to pay. We've been stuck on this hot and humid train for over an hour.
'The doors were closed because we were told we may be moving. That was 15 minutes ago. It's like an oven in here and we're being slow cooked.'
The operator confirmed on a social media post their services were facing issues and has since apologised to passengers affected.
Enraged customers travelling on the London services said they felt like they were being 'slow cooked' in 'an oven'
They first posted: 'Due to a fault on a train between London Blackfriars and Herne Hill, some lines are blocked.
'We're working to gather more information on this incident.'
They later added 'services across the network' were 'experiencing significant disruption'.
Another passenger said they had been stuck on a 'rammed' service to Brighton between Elephant and Castle and Loughborough Junction which was a medical accident 'waiting to happen'.
They also asked why there was 'no air con' or windows that could be opened on the service.
In their instructions to stuck passengers, Thameslink posted on X that anyone stuck should not attempt to leave the train.
They said: 'If you're stuck on a train which isn't moving, please remain where you are and don't make any attempt to leave the train unless instructed to.'
Thameslink also replied to a post from a passenger who said he was stuck on a service between Blackfriars and East Croydon which had been 'over an hour with no AC'.
Their reply read: 'Network Rail staff and emergency services are enroute to each train stuck between stations to evacuate and work on getting these moving.'
A Thameslink spokesperson told MailOnline they were 'truly sorry' to the passengers affected.
They said: 'Earlier today, a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services to a halt in the area, three of them outside station platforms.
'Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track.
'This would have been a difficult and uncomfortable experience for our passengers and we are truly sorry. With safety our top priority, the safest place was to remain on the trains while we worked our hardest to get help to those on board.
'There is engineering work taking place today, which means this is the only route Thameslink trains can take south out of London and severe disruption is expected for the rest of the afternoon.
'Anyone travelling south of London is currently advised to use Southern services from Victoria but you should check the latest travel advice at thameslinkrailway.com.
'Passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more are also entitled to compensation, with details on our website.'
A British Transport Police spokesperson added: 'Officers were called to Loughborough Junction Railway Station at just before 11am today (June 21) to reports of a train broken down nearby.

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