
Tuesday was the biggest day for the London Fire Brigade since World War II as firefighters responded to more than 2,600 requests and battled 12 flames at once, according to Mayor Sadiq Khan. According to him, at least 41 properties were damaged.
Even though cloudy skies and showers gave reprieve from the sweltering temperatures of recent days, Wednesday's record-breaking heat wave in Britain nevertheless caused transport disruptions for a third day. Firefighters also continued to be on high alert. In contrast to Tuesday's record-breaking high of 40.3C (104.4F) at Coningsby in eastern England, forecasters anticipate that London will only reach a high of 26 Celsius (79 Fahrenheit) on Wednesday.
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However, as engineers work to fix electrical lines and signalling equipment damaged by a heat-related fire on Tuesday, the main railway line between London and Edinburgh will be shut down until noon, according to the London North Eastern Railway. Grassland surrounding the city has been dried out by hot, dry weather, so even if the temperature has dropped, Khan added.
Khan told the BBC, “Once it catches fire it spreads incredibly fast, like wildfires like you see in movies or in fires in California or in parts of France… I’ve just spoken to the fire commissioner. He’s still concerned about the ground being dry and the speed of fire spreading.”
(with inputs from agencies)