KEEP COOL & CARRY ON
87,000 lightning bolts hit UK
BRITS will enjoy a weekend break from sweltering conditions as the record-breaking heatwave ended last night with wildfires and lightning bolts.
But keep calm folks because temperatures are set to rocket back into the 30s from Monday.
THE UK heatwave reached a violent peak last night as Britain was battered by wildfires and thunderbolts.
As temperatures peaked at a searing 34.7C, blazes raged across the country.
And it was estimated that the UK was blasted by 87,000 thunderbolts.
Temperatures will ease this weekend into the low 20s.
But forecasters have urged Brits to keep calm as the mercury soars into the 30s again next week.
A massive fire broke out in Ferndown Common, Dorset, yesterday and firefighters were pictured putting out an inferno in Hythe, Hants.
There were also wildfires in north Wales and Hertfordshire. But other parts of the UK were hit by thunderstorms.
As the heatwave wreaked havoc across the country, people were warned to stay out of rivers, lakes and quarries.
Police looking for a 17-year-old unnamed lad who went missing while swimming in a quarry in Bishop’s Itchington, Warks, have found a body.
Officers have also found the body of a man in his 20s who went for a dip in a river in Slough, Berks, on Wednesday. And a search was launched for a missing teen off Clacton Pier in Essex, named locally as 15-year-old Ben Quartermaine.
Meanwhile, a top sleep expert admitted “zombie-like” Brits will continue suffering at night because we are not used to such prolonged heatwaves.
Bedrooms have been branded “unbearable” by shattered workers.
Sleep expert Dr Neil Stanley said: “Normally we might get these spells for a week and they go away, this time it seems
endless.” He added: “There are things you can do to alleviate your discomfort but at the end of the day if the temperatures are mid to high 30s, people are going to be shattered.
“Insomniac Brits will be more moody, lethargic, miserable and aggressive. This could last for weeks on end.”
Many Brits took to social media to moan about the sweltering conditions.
One wrote: “I am such a zombie right now: I work 10 hr shifts, and we’re having a heatwave.”
Another complained: “I feel like an actual zombie today. Must be the heatwave.”
The hot weather has led to a big rise in Brits escaping to chilly Iceland.
Bookings have risen by a third, according to adventure travel firm Flash Pack. Temperatures in the country are currently around 15C.
And trips to Finland – currently a “cool” 25C – have soared by 50%.
Lee Thompson, co-founder of Flash Pack, said: “Usually at this time of year, our popular bookings promise hot weather. “This year’s heatwave seems to have had the opposite effect, and it’s the places with snow that are doing well. “We’re hearing from customers sweltering in the heat – and the first thing they’re asking is how cold a place gets.” Supermarket shoppers were also among those to suffer as they tweeted pictures of empty store shelves. Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Asda and Tesco were among those running out of produce. Cooling fridges have been breaking down in their droves in the heat.
And Morrisons, Asda and Aldi have relaxed their fresh food guidelines as the heatwave hits crops.
A Morrisons spokeswoman said: “We have relaxed our specifications for salads, including lettuce, cucumbers, celery, herbs and peppers.”
Met Office experts warned drivers to be careful in wet conditions today. Meteorologist Alex Deakin said: “There is some uncertainty because of the thunderstorms, how many we see and where they are going.”
He said “torrential rain” could mean “roads like the M11,
M18, M1 and A1 won’t be very pleasant”.