NETWORK Rail has activated its extreme weather response teams in the North West and Central Region with the potential for temperatures in Cumbria to hit the low 30s today.

The hot weather, particularly direct sunlight, can cause track temperatures to rise to more than 50C. 

When steel becomes very hot it expands and rails can bend, flex and - in serious cases - buckle. As a precaution, trains have to run at slower speeds.

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James Dean, chief operating officer for North West and Central, said: “Keeping passengers moving is always our top priority.

"But we want people to be prepared. If the soaring temperatures do lead to us having to put in place slower speeds for safety reasons, please bear with us while our engineers work to fix the problem.

"It may mean some journeys take longer.

“For those who must travel by rail, we’d remind people to carry some water with them so they don’t get too parched, and always check before travelling so they know exactly what to expect.”

Passengers are advised to check before they travel at nationalrail.co.uk.

Here’s the super computer forecast for 1pm today: https://earth.nullschool.net/#2019/07/25/1200Z/wind/surface/level/overlay=temp/orthographic=-2.31,51.46,3000/loc=-1.508,51.879

The Met Office warns that a rise in temperature can present health risks. Tips for keeping cool in hot weather can be found on its website.

You can check just how hot it is by looking at the Met Office map https://wow.metoffice.gov.uk/

The organisation has, in addition, issued a thunderstorm warning for today and tomorrow. A spokesperson said the main focus across the North of England was likely to be early evening and the first part of the night.