Commuters urged to avoid travel as scorching heat threatens chaos
Commuters have been urged to avoid travel today as the high temperatures cause delays and cancellations across the London network.
Southern, Southeastern, Thameslink, LNER and the London Overground have all put speed restrictions in place to reduce the chances of tracks expanding and buckling under the heat.
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Temperatures in London are expected to reach a peak of 39C.
Leading bookie Coral is odds-on at 1-2 for the UK’s hottest ever temperature – 38.5C – to be broken today. The firm has gone 5-4 for 40C or higher.
“The betting suggests we are set for a record-breaking day in the UK with the previous high of 38.5C set to be broken,” said Coral’s John Hill.
The train firms, which all run services in and out of London, warned that trains will be restricted to a top speed of 60mph for the majority of the day and will be busier as fewer trains will be running.