Schools & attractions close with trains in chaos as mercury hits 38C – with scorcher making UK hotter than Ibiza

SCHOOLS and attractions have SHUT as the country battles sweltering temperatures and widespread train delays today.

Brits have been urged to remain indoors as temperatures hit 38.1C in Santon Downham, Suffolk - making it hotter than Spanish holiday hotspot Ibiza.

Meanwhile Kew Gardens in West London hit 37.5C, Santon Downham in Suffolk hit 36.7C and St James's Park in London saw temperatures of 34.3C, the Met Office found.

It is early in the year for temperatures to hit the 30C mark - with forecasters warning another heatwave later in the summer cannot be ruled out.

The UK’s all-time high of 38.7C was recorded in Cambridge in July 2019.

And as temperatures soared, budget supermarket Aldi started rationing bottled water to make sure everyone got their fair share.

And pilots have been ordered not to land or take off from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire today amid claims the "runway had melted".

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "During this period of extreme temperature flight safety remains the RAF’s top priority, so aircraft are using alternative airfields in line with a long-established plan.

"This means there is no impact on RAF operations."

And holidaymakers were hit with travel chaos after the runway also melted at Luton Airport.

The airport has been forced to suspend flights - causing mayhem for families travelling during the summer holidays.

Luton confirmed there was a "surface defect" caused by today's sizzling weather.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said emergency services have seen an increase in emergency calls as temperatures rose.

Millions of Brits are working from home today amid fears rails could buckle in the heat.

Network Rail bosses warned commuters that train times could more than DOUBLE due to speed restrictions.

And the chances of services returning to normal by midweek will depend on any "damage that the weather does to the infrastructure" on Monday and Tuesday, travellers have been told.

Meanwhile, popular attractions including Chester Zoo in Cheshire, Maldon Promenade Zoo in Essex and York Maze in North Yorkshire have all shut due to the heat.

Beaches and fun fairs also closed their doors over fears sand would be "hot for children" as temperatures skyrocketed.

Kevin Groves, chief spokesman for Network Rail, said trips which typically take two hours could take "more than four hours" today.

He told Sky News: "Certainly later on today that (buckling) is a strong possibility, which is why, from about midday today through till 8pm tonight, there will be large swathes of England and Wales that will have emergency heat-related speed restrictions placed on the rail network."

Mr Groves promised refunds to any passengers who booked journeys on Monday and Tuesday but are rearranging travel for later in the week.

"Our advice to passengers if they can, today and tomorrow, is only travel if it's really necessary; otherwise try and shift your arrangements to later in the week and you'll get a full refund," he said.

Cabinet Office minister Kit Malthouse said: "People need to be on their guard for disruption.

"If they don’t have to travel, this may be a moment to work from home."

London North Eastern Railway axed all of its services on Tuesday from King’s Cross to York, Leeds and Lincoln.

And Network Rail will close the East Coast Main Line between noon and 8pm that same day for all locations between London King's Cross and York and Leeds.

Avanti West Coast said it would be running far fewer services from today.

Kevin Groves told Sky News that trips which typically take two hours could take "more than four hours" as emergency measures have been brought in to prevent trains derailing.

"Certainly later on today [buckling] is a strong possibility, which is why, from about midday today through till 8pm tonight, there will be large swathes of England and Wales that will have emergency heat-related speed restrictions placed on the rail network," he said.

Mr Groves promised refunds to any passengers who booked journeys on Monday and Tuesday who rearrange travel for later in the week.

"Our advice to passengers if they can, today and tomorrow, is only travel if it's really necessary; otherwise try and shift your arrangements to later in the week and you'll get a full refund," he said.

The Met Office has forecast the capital could see highs of 38C tomorrow as "exceptionally high temperatures" sweep across England.

The soaring temperatures mean it will be warmer than Nassau in the Bahamas (32C), Kingston in Jamaica (33C), Malaga in Spain (28C), Athens in Greece (35C), Albufeira in Portugal (28C) and Dakhla, in the Western Sahara (24C).

Other areas of England will also experience hotter weather than the holiday destinations, with the Midlands predicted to see highs of 37C, East Anglia with 36C and the North West and North East with 33C.

The UK’s all-time high of 38.7C (102F) was recorded in Cambridge in July 2019.

As temperatures soared, sunseekers flocked to packed beaches to soak up the sunshine yesterday.

Meanwhile, some headteachers announced pupils should stay at home — a move opposed by deputy PM Dominic Raab.

He said: “Making sure young children get the education they need is really important. Particularly after the pandemic and schools are well placed to do that.”

He was backed by shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson who said: “I think children have missed out quite a lot already in terms of their education and it’s right for them to be there.”

Cabinet minister Mr Malthouse also urged Brits to look out for their elderly neighbours as temperatures soar.

He urged people to "do the neighbourly thing" and check on elderly people living nearby to "check they are OK, they've got access to water, they are keeping themselves cool and looking after themselves".

"Hopefully we'll get through things in good shape," he told LBC.

This morning, chief meteorologist at the Met Office Paul Davies told Sky News that even colleagues in hot countries such as Spain and Portugal had described the scenes in the UK as "exceptional".

"I was talking to my colleagues in Spain, Portugal and France over the weekend and they described this heat as exceptional too, and they've seen and observed amazing temperatures and, as I say, the brutality of that impact.

"In terms of the UK, the heat which has been affecting Spain, Portugal and France is different towards us.

"So it's the activity of that plume, and also us generating our own heat that's causing the particular problems for tomorrow."

It comes as a new record was broken in Wales today.

Wales recorded its hottest day, with the temperature reaching 37.1C in Hawarden, Flintshire, provisional Met Office figures show.

Temperature records began in 1910.

And Ireland recorded its hottest temperature in more than a century as parts of Dublin reached 33C, according to Met Eireann

Meteorologist Mr Davies said temperatures will ease from next Wednesday onwards - but warned another heatwave later in summer could not be ruled out.

Mr Davies told Sky News: "When we look to the future in terms of the next week, there is an easier time because in fact the temperatures start to ease back to what we describe as slightly above normal from about Wednesday onwards.

"But as we move into all this, you just can't rule out another plume."

The Met Office’s “danger to life” alert covers a swathe between London, Manchester and the Vale of York.