Londoners urged not to travel next week due to extreme heat warnings

A red weather warning has been issued for Monday and Tuesday

Those living in London have been urged not to make any unnecessary travel early next week as temperatures in the capital and elsewhere in the UK are set to rise to a record-breaking 40C. Officials from Transport for London (TfL) issued the advice earlier today, swiftly following the news that a red weather warning has been issued - the highest warning the Met Office can dish out. According to reports, this week's coming heatwave marks the first time a red weather warning has had to be issued. With forecasters predicting that there's an 80 per cent chance that the UK's previous record for hottest day ever is set to be broken this coming Tuesday July 19, the TfL team have been forced to advise travellers to only use their services for "essential journeys". "Due to the exceptionally hot weather that is expected next week, customers should only use London’s transport network for essential journeys," explained TfL's Chief Operating Officer Andy Lord, via the Metro. "If customers do need to travel, they should check before they travel as we are expecting there to be some impact to Tube and rail services as a result of temporary speed restrictions we will need to introduce to keep everyone safe." He added: "It is also vital that customers always carry water at all times with them when travelling." This news also follows information advising the public to avoid alcoholic drinks while temperatures continue to rise. The reason behind this is that alcohol is considered a diuretic, which causes the body to become dehydrated. Combine this with scorching weather and it has been recommended that booze and excess caffeine should be avoided in favour of shade and plenty of water. The UK's red weather warning has been issued for London and the Midlands alongside Northern areas including York and Manchester. Related links:

• Brits warned to avoid alcohol this weekend as record breaking heatwave takes hold
• Red extreme heat warning: What it means and how worried you need to be
• You might soon be able to stop working if your office gets too hot as MPs table motion