More sunshine ahead as roads melt and water supplies feel the heat

Northern Ireland Water said demand is outstripping supply, leaving them with no option but to bring in the ban in order to save water.

Elsewhere across the UK consumers are being urged to take simple steps to reduce the amount of water they use.

Top tips include taking a shorter shower, not leaving the taps running and re-using paddling pool water for plants in the garden.

Britons enjoyed the hottest temperature of the year for the fourth day in a row on Thursday as the mercury soared to 33C (91.4F) in Porthmadog in Wales.

While temperatures appear to have peaked for now, they will remain high into the weekend and early next week.

Saturday could see 29C (84.2F) in England and Scotland, 27C (80.6F) in Northern Ireland and Wales, and predicted highs of around 31C (87.8F) in some parts of the UK by Monday.

(PA Graphics)

Met Office spokesman Grahame Madge said: “We are going to see a continuation of the current warm spell but the temperatures over the next few days are not likely to be the warmest of the year so far.

“I think for now temperatures have peaked and we are not expecting to see any records today.

“We will begin to have a slightly fresher feel, bringing the temperatures down, not by much, by one or two degrees.”

Gritters have been deployed in some areas, spreading crushed rock dust onto melting roads to create a non-stick layer between the surface and vehicles.

Motorists have been advised to use warm soapy water to wash sticky tar from their vehicles.

Some railway tracks have soared to nearly 50C (122F), leading them to expand and bend.

Trains had to be stopped from running over a section of track near Carlisle station on Thursday.

Speed restrictions have been in place all week on the route from London Waterloo to New Malden due to the scorching temperatures, causing delays to services.

(PA Graphics)

Translink Rail services also felt the heat as they were forced to delay and cancel services across Northern Ireland on Thursday as rail lines reached over 50C and began to buckle.

The Met Office’s heat-health watch alert has remained at level two all week, meaning social and healthcare services are at the ready to reduce harm from a potential heatwave.

This week is the first time since 2013 all four nations in the UK have seen temperatures of 30C or above, the Met Office said.

People enjoy the warm weather on the beach in Brighton, East Sussex (Gareth Fuller/PA)

Public Health England issued a warning saying the extreme heat may pose a risk to the most vulnerable.

The rising temperatures have also come with warnings to be careful near water and in the countryside, where fire crews have been tackling wildfires.

The heat has already claimed casualties.

The family of 13-year-old Ryan Evans, whose body was recovered on Wednesday, two days after he got into difficulty at Westport Lake in Stoke-on-Trent, warned of the dangers of playing and swimming in open water.

Joe Taylorson, from Cumbria, paddle-boards in the Solent in Hampshire (Andrew Matthews/PA)

They said: “We just cannot emphasis enough the dangers of swimming in open water, especially where young children are concerned.

“Our message is simple, please don’t do it.”

A 17-year-old boy was found dead in the River Aire in Leeds in the early hours of Wednesday morning following a search and rescue operation. 

It is believed he got into difficulties while swimming on Tuesday evening.

The body of a man was also recovered from a lake in Nutfield, Surrey, on Monday.

The RNLI has urged those heading to the seaside to seek out beaches with a lifeguard.

There is bad news for farmers growing crops and the firefighters and soldiers battling the ongoing incident on Saddleworth Moor in north-west England as no significant rainfall is forecast in the coming days.

Mr Madge said: “There is a low probability of showers on Sunday. If they do bring some rainfall it would be in the South West but that will be very sporadic.”

Parts of Saddleworth Moor have been alight for six days, with firefighters saying it could take weeks to extinguish.

A new moorland blaze – on Winter Hill, near Rivington, Lancashire – broke out on Thursday with huge plumes of smoke visible from the area surrounding the moorland.

Firefighters are also still fighting a 500-metre long gorse fire on the Glenshane Pass in County Londonderry, more than 48 hours after it first broke out.

The RSPCA called on pet owners to keep a close eye on their animals in the heat after receiving 625 calls about animals in hot environments between June 11 and 24 – the majority about dogs in hot cars.

The hot spell is good news for gardeners, with horticultural experts saying it could help produce excellent vegetables, fruit and flowers.

The Royal Horticultural Society have suggested people use waste water from the kitchen to keep plants nourished and to reduce demand for water.