Rare extreme heat warning for third day in South East

A red heat warning for south-east England has been issued by the Met Office – the first time it has had to do so for three consecutive days.

The warning, which indicates a high likelihood of risk to life, will be in force until 21:00 BST on Friday.

With much of the country in the grips of record-breaking heat – Thursday having been the hottest day of the year so far – temperatures could exceed 36C in some places, perhaps rising to 38C in others, the Met Office said.

Railway passengers are being urged to avoid non-essential train travel, while schools and nurseries have been forced to close. A hosepipe ban has also been brought in for South East Water customers in Kent.

The Met Office said "substantial changes" in working practices and daily routines will be required, while there was also a high risk of heat-sensitive systems and equipment failing.

It could result in power cuts and the loss of other essential services such as water, electricity, gas or mobile phone signal, it added.

Delays on roads and road closures are also expected, alongside delays and cancellations to rail and air travel.

The Met Office urged the public to help protect vulnerable people, including the elderly and those with underlying conditions.

South East Water had to apologise to its customers on Friday after about 350 properties in Sedlescombe, East Sussex, experienced supply interruptions.

The company said that normal service was expected to return "later this evening".

A dispersal order has also been put in place in Whitstable from 15:00 on Friday. It will remain in place for 48 hours.

Amber heat warnings are also in place for the wider area on Friday, which will run into Saturday for parts of south-east England.

On Thursday night, many areas experienced "tropical" temperatures, where the mercury did not fall any lower than 20C.

According to BBC Weather presenter Chris Fawkes, Herstmonceux in East Sussex had the highest provisional overnight temperature at 22.7C.

Thunderstorms, described as "hit and miss in nature", are forecast to break out during Friday evening and throughout Saturday across the UK, with the biggest ones bringing a risk of flash-flooding and some large hail.

Experts say that the current heatwave is being driven by a "heat-dome" – an area of high pressure that stalls over a region and traps heat – settling over western Europe and bringing extreme conditions across the continent.

Human-driven climate change, mostly caused by burning fossil fuels, is making such extreme heatwaves more frequent and intense, they added.

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.