Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
FLAMING MAYHEM..
» Travel chaos as families head off on holiday » But it will be insanely hot again next week
AFTER weeks of begging for rain, we finally got our wish yesterday – but the change brought more than bargained for by most.
As the heatwave came to a dramatic end storms and torrential rain sparked mayhem, with wildfires destroying fields – and roads, rail and air travel brought to a halt.
Two teenage boys and a man are feared to have drowned in separate incidents.
There were an estimated 90,000 lightning flashes up and down the land, many causing blazes on tinder dry fields.
More than 150 firefighters tackled an inferno at Ferndown Common in Dorset.
And blazes erupted in fields at North Wales, Hampshire, Surrey and Hertfordshire. A house in Langold, Notts, burst into flames after being hit by lightning. No one was hurt.
As families set off on holidays during the first week of school holidays, many did not get far.
Train firms struggled with the conditions and services on the East Coast mainline were disrupted by lightning.
Thousands of Eurotunnel passengers faced delays of about two hours in Kent after air conditioning failed.
The firm said it had taken an “unprecedented decision” to cancel thousands of day trip tickets yesterday to ease the long queues.
London North Eastern Railway advised passengers not to travel “due to the extreme weather conditions and signal failure throughout the route”.
The advice sparked fury among commuters.
One, Jonathan Ellis, tweeted: “How can you give this advice? People have places to be, things to do. We can’t just delay by a day or two. Have some respect for paying passengers and find a real solution.
“This weather has been expected all week.” Another described how a train from London to Leeds was “unbearable, crammed with people”, and the temperature on board was 33C. She added: “People can’t breathe.” All services between Leeds and York operated by Northern were stopped because of a lightning strike on signals.
Speed limits were in place for some Chiltern Railways, Northern and Greater Anglia services, because of fears the heat could cause the tracks to expand and “buckle”.
Network Rail said: “Due to today’s severe weather, there is widespread disruption.
“Teams from Network Rail have been, and continue to be, on standby this morning and are out responding to issues and are working hard to restore services where possible.”
On the roads there were warnings of dangerous conditions caused by heavy rain and spray in central and eastern
parts. Earlier, the heat had melted tarmac on roads in Brighton and Godalming, Surrey.
Hundreds of air passengers last night faced long delays and cancellations due to storms after air traffic controller NATS put restrictions in place.
A spokesman said: “The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorm activity across London and the East of England, with flights likely to be adversely affected.
“Dealing with bad weather is one of the most difficult things for air traffic controllers to manage. Its unpredictable nature means aircraft aren’t able to fly their usual routes.
“Storms are particularly disruptive as they effectively block large swathes of airspace.
“Passengers are advised to contact their airline for the latest information on their flight.”
A spokesman for Stansted Airport said: “Air traffic control have put restrictions in place. It affects everyone.”
Yesterday was expected to be the busiest day of the summer for flights out of Britain as millions jet off on holiday.
Temperatures continued to hover in the mid-30s but failed to beat Thursday’s record high for the year of 35.3C at Faversham, Kent.
They are set to drop by at least 10C across most of the country.
The RNLI warned revellers about the dangers of strong gales and storms along the coast.
Community safety manager Tony Wafer said: “If you are heading to the coast this weekend, please find out where your nearest lifeguarded beach is and ask the lifeguards for advice on conditions, especially if you are going in the water.
“Lifeboats and lifeguards have had four times as many rescues of inflatables so far this summer than they did last year.”
One of the boys feared drowned is Ben Quartermaine, 14. He disappeared on Thursday night while swimming with a friend on the Essex coast.
And the body of a 17-year-old, who has not been named, was pulled from water yesterday at Bishops Itchington, Warks.
Thames Valley Police said a man’s body was recovered from the Jubilee River in Slough, Berks. There were no suspicious circumstances, they added.
The heatwave will be back next week.
Bookies have slashed the odds for next month being the hottest ever August.
And they are offering even money on the current all time high of 38.5C being breached.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Brits can strap themselves in for a sweltering, and potentially record-breaking, few weeks.” The news will not be welcome in the NHS, where many nurses have been left dizzy and exhausted as temperatures on wards soar.
Health officials also said blood supplies had dropped because donors have been too dehydrated, while others have chosen to stay in the sun.
Environment Agency officials said the heatwave had led to the deaths of carp in the River Weaver at Winsford, Cheshire.
Dozens of dead fish had been found floating on the surface and others had to be rescued from low-level waters caused by the prolonged baking hot sun and the drought.
Have respect for passengers and find a real solution. This weather was expected…
COMMUTER JONATHAN ELLIS IS NOT IMPRESSED AT RAIL FIRM