Fire chiefs in London have warned the capital faces an “extreme” risk of wildfires this weekend as the city continues to bake in soaring temperatures.
A trackside bushfire fire caused chaos for commuters, shutting Stratford station and suspending train services.
The fire broke out around 7pm on Friday and was under control by around 9.30pm, but the travel disruption has continued into Saturday.
The brigade said that the latest assessments show the risk in London will grow from “elevated” to “extreme” from Saturday to Monday, driven by factors like prolonged dry weather, heat and wind speed.
Temperatures topped 31C in London on Friday with the hot weather set to continue to next weekend and beyond.
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Emergency services warn of 'extreme' wildfire risks
The heatwave across the UK looks set to continue as 2026 became the first year to record temperatures of 35C on six separate days, and emergency services warn of “extreme” wildfire risks over the weekend.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has urged people not to use disposable barbecues over the weekend over fears of the dry heat leading to fires.
The Metropolitan Police is worried about excessive calls, with England set to play Norway in a quarter-final of the Fifa World Cup on Saturday night
Europe-wide heatwave sees Tour de France shorten route
Stage nine of the Tour de France on Sunday will be shortened by 30 km (18.64 miles) as the intense heatwave continues, though it will keep its planned start and finish points.
Organisers today revealed that the 195.5km stage from Malemort to Ussel will now follow a 155.5 km route, adding: "Meteo-France has placed the department of Correze on red alert due to an exceptionally intense heatwave.”
What is the weather forecast for London today?
It’s set to be another hot day in the capital, with temperatures expected to climb to 30C this afternoon.
But it will be slightly cooler than the highs recorded earlier this week now that London has passed the peak of the current heatwave.
Temperatures are forecast to remain high throughout the weekend and into next week, with highs of around 29C to 30C.
New high temperature warning issued for 10 counties in Ireland
A new high temperature warning has been issued for 10 counties in Ireland.
The Met Éireann Status Yellow high temperature warning is for Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Mayo, Kilkenny, Laois and Offaly.
It comes come into effect from 1pm on Sunday until 7am on Monday.
Met Éireann said there would be maximum temperatures in excess of 27C combined with overnight temperature minimums in excess of 15C.
An existing status yellow high temperature warning covering Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Cork, Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford is in place until 7am on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Uisce Éireann has appealed to farms, households and businesses in a number of areas to conserve water during the hot weather.
Possible thunderstorms on the horizon...
The Met has warned of possible thunderstorms from Monday in parts of the south, but overall another very dry week to come.
Met Office deputy chief forecaster David Hayter, said: “Areas of central and southern England and Wales are expected to see several more consecutive days of temperatures above 30C.
“While temperatures are expected to reach into the low to mid-30s through the weekend, the focus of the heat will gradually shift towards western parts of the UK.
“This will also bring some slightly cooler and cloudier conditions to eastern coastal areas than of recent days. It will also turn windier across southern areas, bringing breezier conditions, especially along coasts and headlands.
“The main exception to the largely dry and sunny conditions is northern Scotland, where a cold front is bringing rain, cloud and some heavy downpours on Friday. But conditions are expected to improve over the weekend.
“There is a possible increase in thunderstorms from Monday in parts of the south, however most areas will remain dry, sunny and very warm into the coming week.”
Affinity Water issues hosepipe ban for 'some London customers'
Thames Water has yet to issue a hosepipe ban for the city, but Affinity Water — which covers the boroughs of Harrow, Hillingdon, Barnet, Brent and Ealing — has issued a ban.
Hosepipe bans are a precautionary measure taken by water companies to to reduce non-essential water use and help protect supplies across the region.
As London continues to experience a prolonged period of extremely hot and dry weather, Affinity Water has taken the decision to introduce a ban.
A spokesperson for the water company said: “We’re introducing a Temporary Use Ban (TUB), also known as a hosepipe ban, across our Central region from 00:01 on Friday 17 July until further notice.
“Demand for water is much higher than we'd normally expect, and supplies are under real pressure.
“Last month was the warmest June on record for England, with temperatures reaching as high as 37.7°C, and we've seen a continued pattern of hot, dry weather since.
“We plan carefully for hot weather using years of data, but this year demand is around 20% higher than we'd normally expect.
“We're also currently receiving less water than usual from Grafham Water reservoir, which would usually provide around 10% of our Central region's supply. The ban applies to customers in Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and parts of London.”
Video footage shows people running from bush fire blaze in Stratford
Footage posted on X shows dozens of people running from the bush fire blaze at Stratford Station.
A man can be heard in the background moving people along, as debris falls from the sky.
What lines are affected by the Stratford Station closure?
The Elizabeth line, Mildmay line and National Rail services have all been impacted by the closure of Stratford Station.
It comes after a huge fire broke out at Stratford Station yesterday involving shrubbery and trees near the railway tracks.
The fire has been brought under control, but urgent repairs to the line are now underway, which has had a knock-on effect on travel.
Disruption is expected on the following lines until the end of the day:
Part closure of Stratford Station - Only Central, Jubilee line and DLR trains are calling at Stratford.
Elizabeth line, Mildmay line and National Rail services are not stopping at Stratford as repairs are underway.
Mildmay Line - No service between Highbury & Islington and Stratford.
Severe delays on the rest of the line.
Elizabeth line - No service between Whitechapel and Ilford.
Severe delays on the rest of the line due to the lineside fire at Stratford on Friday and a late finish of engineering works Tottenham Court Road.
Stratford station remains closed following fire
Stratford Station remains closed this morning after a fire involving shrubbery broke out near the railway line on Friday.
At 10pm, the fire was declared under control by London Fire Brigade, but crews continue to work at the scene to fully extinguish the fires, dampen down hotspots and monitor for any flare-ups.
Only Central, Jubilee line and DLR trains are calling at Stratford.
Elizabeth line, Mildmay line and National Rail services are not stopping at the station and passengers are advised to find alternative routes.
Fire at Stratford station
Stratford Station has been temporarily closed due to a fire involving shrubbery near the railway line, London Fire Brigade (LFB) have confirmed.
The force responded to videos of the blaze posted online, and said that firefighters were at the scene.
It is not yet clear whether the hot weather was responsible for the blaze.
The post from LFB on X read: “Firefighters are currently in attendance at a fire involving shrubbery near the railway line at #Stratford train station.
“The station has been temporarily closed. More to follow.”