Hot and bothered Brits are moaning about getting no shut eye last night as the UK experience its hottest August day in 17 years yesterday.
Tired and angry Brits who sweated in their sheets during the night complained on social media about getting no sleep in the searing heat as late as 3am.
They described last night as ‘ruthless’, ‘rocky’ and ‘absolutely trash’ after sun-seekers packed beaches across the country to mark Britain’s hottest August day since 2003, with the scorching heatwave set to continue today.
In Heathrow and Kew Gardens the hottest August day since 2003 was recorded as temperatures reached 97.5F (36.4C).
One restless Brit tweeted: When it’s 3am and you can’t sleep coz of the heat and you feel like the wicked witch and all that is going on in your head is the scene ‘I’m melting I’m melting’ Yup that’s me right now x’.
Hot and sweaty Brits are moaning about getting no shut eye last night as the UK experience its hottest August day in 17 years as temperatures hit nearly 100F
Angry Brits who sweated in their sheets during the night complained on social media about getting no sleep in the searing heat as late as 3am this morning
The 700 mile-wide ‘Saharan tongue of fire’ hot air is shown on weather maps, making England 53F hotter than average and Scotland up to 46F warmer than usual
Temperatures will remain high across the south of England today with more sunshine tomorrow before clouds roll in on Monday with the potential for storms later in the week
Another tired Brit commented: ‘This heat is too much – applause to anyone who got a full nights sleep last night #sleep #heat’.’
‘Anyone else sleep with a A/C and fan in their room and still die of heat stroke or are you normal??’ one social media user posted.
They were greeted with responses including ‘tell me pal, I’ve been up since 3am’ and ‘I literally can’t sleep UK heat is actually disgusting’.
One person furiously tweeted: ‘Ok. This heat has to stop now.
‘I’ve had four hours sleep in three days. And if you, my neighbour could stop hosting BBQs until 4am, the sole purpose of which appears to be to ensure the entire street knows you have four friends that’d be great’.
‘TL sleep yet?’ a person humorously asked. ‘Y’all remember when the summer heat was supposed to be the end of COVID?’
Others said ‘UK houses are not for the heat at all’, ‘gonna not sleep all night due to this disgusting heat’ and ‘the heat is all fun and games until it’s time to sleep’.
Brits have struggled to get a good night’s sleep after scores of day-trippers ignored social distancing measures to play in the sun yesterday.
Beaches across the south coast were packed by mid-morning yesterday, further stoking fears among police and local councils that tourists will ignore coronavirus social distancing rules and cram onto seafronts over the weekend.
Furious critics took to social media to slam beach-goers and accuse them of ‘undoing the hard work of lockdown’.
One wrote: ‘Here they are again, all the idiots on Brighton beach putting all of us at risk, they just keep on coming.’
A second said: ‘Government: ‘Stay away from beaches today. It’s hot, but no amount of heat is surely enough to risk your health and the health of loved ones by breaking social distancing rules, and undoing all the hard work of the last 4 months of lockdown.’
While a third added: ‘My worst nightmare, even before COVID. Too many people. We will never get over this virus if people are this stupid. Just because it’s hot doesn’t mean you should all pack a beach & not socially distance.’
On Friday, angry locals in Bournemouth hit out at tourists ‘heading here with cars full of rubbish to dump on our beaches’ and slammed ‘careless idiots’ putting pressure on the emergency services. Others urged people to ‘avoid the beaches’ and warned of ‘gridlock on the roads’.
They described last night as ‘ruthless’, ‘rocky’ and ‘absolutely trash’ after sun-seekers packed beaches across the country to mark Britain’s hottest August day since 2003
Travel chaos is expected today and tomorrow as The AA said it anticipates up to 10 per cent more journeys from Friday afternoon.
It warned drivers to expect queues building near coastal locations, particularly in popular seaside destinations in south-west England, Blackpool, Wales and Norfolk.
Ben Sheridan, from The AA, said: ‘Motorways, coastal routes and roads to ferry crossings are likely to be busy. Many drivers will be hitting the road early to beat the heat, while others will stay home to stay cool.’
RAC Breakdown said it is expecting this weekend to be the busiest of the year for the company, as traffic jams and long delays look ‘inevitable’.
On Friday, motorists heading through Hampshire faced 15 miles of queues, with delays on the A31, M27 and M3 towards the coast.
Visitors to the South West were told to avoid busy beaches amid a rush to Cornwall, with the RNLI saying: ‘If you arrive at the beach and it is simply too crowded, consider moving on and spending your day elsewhere.’
Delays and cancellations are likely for rail passengers, as high temperatures can damage overhead wires and lead to speed restrictions due to fears of tracks buckling.
Girls walk across Ludgate Hill in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter as they start their night out during the hottest day of 17 years
Women queue up outside Be at One in Birmingham city centre as the party-goers enjoyed the hot temperatures on their Friday night out
While the UK sizzled young people went on a Friday night out on the hottest day in 17 years
Hundreds of people enjoyed a Friday night on the town in the pubs and bars in Guildhall Walk in Portsmouth, Hampshire on a very hot night
HM Coastguard warned people to stay safe on the beach after rescue teams responded to 70 callouts across the UK by midday yesterday – ‘above average for this time of year’, one week after its busiest day for more than four years.
Bournemouth council warned shortly after noon on Friday that 20 out of its 24 beaches along the Dorset coast were already categorised as ‘avoid, social distancing not possible’.
All car parks in Sandbanks were full and shut by 11am, while police also warned tourists of a ‘long queue’ for the ferry – and traffic in the Christchurch area faced long delays.
The scenes could be repeated on today and tomorrow, it is feared.
The beach at Brighton was packed with sun-goers as many beaches across the south filled to capacity and local leaders asked visitors to stay away
Parts of England are enjoying a three-day heatwave with temperatures set to reach record breaking levels in parts of the South East
RNLI Lifeguards look out over the beach as people enjoy the hot weather at Bournemouth beach in Dorset this afternoon
People enjoy the hot weather on the banks of the River Lea in east London, where the mercury has hit the highest since 2003
A parks police car patrols by sunbathers on Hampstead Heath as the temperature soars in London
Dozens of homes evacuated as wildfire rips through Surrey: 100 people are told to leave their million-pound properties and not come back ‘until tomorrow at the earliest’ as crews battle 40 hectare blaze
- Fire crews are tackling a grass fire larger than 40 hectares in Cobham Common
- Play at the Rose Ladies Series Grand Final had to be halted this afternoon
- The fire spread to Wentworth golf course and 10 fire engines are at the scene
By Joe Davies for MailOnline
Homes have been evacuated after a massive 40 hectare wildfire in Surrey with homeowners told not to come back until ‘tomorrow at the earliest’.
Play at the Rose Ladies Series Grand Final had to be halted and the final has been cancelled after a ‘wall of flames’ which began on Chobham Common spread to Wentworth golf course.
Around 60 houses, home to about 100 people, have been evacuated from Heather Drive in Ascot due to plumes of smoke in the air.
Houses on the road sold for more than £2million last year but are not thought to be in danger of being caught in the blaze.
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said it sent 10 fire engines, two water carriers and 10 other vehicles to tackle the blaze.
Police have warned the fire is travelling fast due to the wind and told people on the common to leave the area immediately.
The blaze could be seen from more than 20 miles away in west London and from tall buildings in central London.
The grand final of the Rose Ladies Series golf has been suspended after the huge fire encroached on Wentworth Golf Course in Surrey
The fire has continued to rage into the evening and has sent huge plumes of smoke into the sky that can be seen more than 20 miles away
Around 60 houses, home to about 100 people, have been evacuated from Heather Drive in Ascot due to plumes of smoke in the air
The fire started in Chobham Common, Surrey, before spreading to Wentworth golf course
Surrey Fire and Rescue service said residents who have been evacuated from their homes will not be able to return until Saturday morning at the earliest.
It said: ‘The fire on Chobham Common is an ongoing incident with significant numbers of emergency services on the scene who are likely to remain there for some time.
‘Some local roads in the area remain closed to allow crews to work and for public safety. Please continue to avoid the area.
‘A number of homes in the area have had to be evacuated for safety reasons.
‘Any resident that has been evacuated should not return to their homes until it’s safe to do so – this will be tomorrow morning at the very earliest.’
Surrey County Council told MailOnline fire crews are likely to be at the scene for the whole weekend to tackle the blaze.
The cause of the fire is being investigated but the council said the weather and heat had a part to play.
The fire started at around 12.25pm in Chobham Common before spreading to the nearby golf course
Griff Ryan, 23, who lives in Sunningdale near to the blaze, said the fire began with a ‘strange light’ at around 1pm before smoke and then later a ‘wall of flames’.
‘Smoke got gradually worse and ash began falling into our garden,’ he said.
‘Now standing on Chobham road. At around 5pm fire still wasn’t visible from the road.
‘Over about half an hour it’s become visible and now can see a wall of flames down towards the railway line.
‘Other residents I’ve spoken to have said it’s the worst they’ve seen in 30 years.’
Surrey Heath MP and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove said he was ‘horrified’ by the damage caused by the fire.
Yesterday the fire service said: ‘We received a call this afternoon around 12.25pm to a report of a fire on Chobham Common.
Ten fire engines have been sent in total, alongside multiple specialist vehicles, with the first arriving at the scene around 12.35pm
Chobham Road is closed between Titlarks Hill Road and the roundabout junction with Windsor Road and Chertsey Road
‘Ten fire engines have been sent in total, alongside multiple specialist vehicles, with the first arriving at the scene around 12.35pm.
‘Approximately 41 hectares of grass and undergrowth are alight. Crews remain at the scene tackling the fire.’
Surrey Police added: ‘Surrey Fire and Rescue are working hard to get the fire under control, and we are assisting with evacuations and road closures.
‘If you are on the common you need to evacuate immediately, following instructions from the police and fire officers on the ground.
‘If you decided to walk off the common, but have left a vehicle in one of the car parks, please message us immediately so we can account for you.
‘The fire is travelling fast due to the wind, and there is also a risk of reduced visibility due to smoke.
The blaze could be seen for miles around including from tall buildings in central London
‘If you are affected by the smoke from the fire please keep windows and doors shut to avoid health problems.’
Pro golfer Felicity Johnson told Sky News Sports News: ‘I was just on ninth green, the group ahead had teed up and then we could see a lot of smoke.
‘We could see it moving in the distance and it seemed to get closer pretty quickly. We waited five to ten minutes and it was the noise that was pretty scary.
‘We all know how fast fire can travel and then we saw ash landing on our clothes.’
According to Sky Sports News, no one has been injured on the golf club but everyone was asked to leave the West Course.
Smoke from the fire was visible in London and had earlier been mistakenly thought to be coming from Heathrow airport by some on social media.
The fire stops play as the group of Cara Gainer, Sophie Powell and Gabriella Cowley wait to play off during day three of The Rose Ladies Series on The West Course at Wentworth Golf Club
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said it sent 10 fire engines, two water carriers and 10 other vehicles to tackle the blaze
MP for Surrey Heath Michael Gove said: ‘I’m horrified by the damage this wildfire has done to Chobham Common – and hope people will heed this evacuation warning – thanks to Surrey Fire and Rescue service for their bravery in tackling this terrible tragedy.’
Ash assumed to be from the fire has been reported to have fallen on homes as far as Windsor.
Councillor for the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead said: ‘Ash is now falling in my garden in Windsor.
‘I can only assume from Chobham. It must be a huge fire.’
The railway at Longcross in Surrey was blocked and trains could pass because the fire encroached on the line.
Police vehicles attend the blaze that began on Chobham Common, Surrey, and spread to Wentworth golf course
Approximately 41 hectares of grass and undergrowth are alight. Crews remain at the scene tackling the fire
The Surrey Heath Liberal Democrats said: ‘Trains between Reading and Waterloo will run between Reading and Ascot or Waterloo and VirginiaWater, with replacement transport between Ascot and Virginia Water.
‘Disruption expected until 8pm.’
Chobham Road was closed between Titlarks Hill Road and the roundabout junction with Windsor Road and Chertsey Road.
Rose Ladies Series is a one-off professional women’s tournament, consisting of seven single day competitions, culminating in a three-day grand final.
The golf has been suspended for the rest of the day and plans to continue the final round at 9.30am have been cancelled.
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has been approached for comment.