Severe weather alert issued for north of county
A severe weather alert has been issued as the warm weather shows no immediate signs of ending.
The warning has been issued by Kier on behalf of North Northants Council, and predicts road surface temperatures could reach 58C today (Friday).
Its forecast reads: “Today will continue widely sunny and hot. There’s a low chance that daytime heating may trigger the odd thundery shower in spots during the afternoon.
“Tonight will remain warm under clear skies and a gentle north-easterly breeze. The odd patch of fog could form locally but will quickly disperse around dawn.
“Tomorrow will be another hot and sunny day, albeit temperatures will be a touch lower than the previous day for many.
“Winds will continue from the north-east, gentle to moderate.
“It will stay sunny, dry and hot on Sunday and Monday with very little cloud cover during the daytime and just the odd patch of fog locally during the mornings.
“A light to gentle north-easterly breeze will persist through the period, moderate in places by Monday.
“Warm sunshine will continue Tuesday which sees a chance of a few scattered thundery showers in the afternoon.”
East Midlands Railway is also reminding people to only travel if their journey is essential as exceptionally high temperatures continue to impact the railway across much of England.
There is an amber heat-health alert covering much of the EMR network until at least Sunday (July 12), and EMR has introduced a temporary amended timetable designed to protect the wider railway.
Philippa Cresswell from EMR said: “With exceptionally high temperatures expected to continue this weekend, our priority is to keep as much of the railway running as possible while continuing to operate safely.
“By making temporary changes to a small number of services, we can better protect the wider timetable and provide greater resilience across the network should disruption occur.
“If you do need to travel, please check your journey before setting off and, where possible, travel before midday. We'd also encourage customers to carry plenty of water, stay hydrated and allow extra time for their journey.”