Heat wave in the United Kingdom disrupts London trains
A scorching heatwave in Britain caused major travel disruption on Tuesday after reports of smoke on railway lines near London’s Waterloo station, forcing train operators to cancel services and impose speed restrictions across parts of the network.South Western Railway (SWR) said smoke had been detected between London Waterloo and Vauxhall stations, prompting emergency safety inspections and severe delays on one of the country’s busiest rail corridors, The Independent reported.While the operator stopped short of linking the accident directly to rising temperatures, officials warned that the extreme heat was already affecting rail operations across southern England.
Services were cancelled, and trains slowed
Passengers traveling to and from London Waterloo faced disruption to routes linking Guildford, Woking, Chessington South, Dorking, Hampton Court, Shepperton and Strawberry Hill. Trains on several lines were ordered to operate at reduced speeds, with inspections continuing throughout the day.SWR has also proactively canceled a number of services to “minimize disruption” caused by the heatwave. Flights between London Waterloo and Weymouth via Winchester, Southampton and Bournemouth, as well as routes to Aldershot via Woking and Guildford, were among those affected.
Some services operating between Exeter St Davids and Salisbury and London Waterloo were also reduced, terminating in Basingstoke rather than continuing into central London.Separately, National Rail reported a disruption to the Elizabeth Line, with some eastbound services from London’s Liverpool Street towards Gidea Park canceled on Tuesday afternoon.
Britain records hottest May night
The railway chaos unfolded as Britain endured May heat that meteorologists described as “unprecedented”.
Overnight temperatures in parts of south London did not drop below 21.3C, officially marking a “tropical night” and setting a new record for the highest daily minimum temperature ever recorded in May.The previous record, set in 1944, was 32.8 degrees Celsius, but temperatures this week far exceeded seasonal norms. Meteorologists have warned that the temperature in London could reach 34C again after the UK recorded its hottest May day on record earlier this week at 34.8C.According to weather experts, the magnitude of the rise in temperatures was exceptional for this time of year, noting that climate records are usually broken only marginally and not by such large gaps.