There was chaos in the North East with disruption to Metro services as well multiple fires following a day of extreme heat.
Many in the region enjoyed the sunny conditions with some taking to the coast to take a dip on the sea and enjoy the sea breeze. As the day, ensued however, services were disrupted as infrastructure struggled to cope with the temperatures.
During the afternoon, multiple routes were suspended on the Metro due to damage to overhead wires sagging in the extreme heat as temperatures reached in excess of 30°c.
The damage resulted in services initially being suspended between South Gosforth and Tynemouth, before services were subsequently suspended between St James and Regent Centre, and between St James and Jesmond.
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Metro operators Nexus confirmed that engineers were assessing the damage and were being readied to undertake repairs where required.
A temporary 30kph speed limit was also put in place between Airport and South Gosforth due to the heatwave.
A Nexus spokesperson said: “Metro services are suspended between South Gosforth and Tynemouth due to overhead wires sagging in the extreme heat.
“Our engineers are assessing the extent of the damage and are getting ready to undertake the repairs.
“The current closure of the line allied with the planned closure between St James and Tynemouth means that we currently have no trains running from South Gosforth all the way around the north Tyne coastal loop to into Newcastle city centre.
“Trains are running on the remainder of the network, but there is a temporary 30kph speed limit between Airport and South Gosforth due to the heatwave.
The disruption was not limited to Metro services with railway services also experiencing severe delays in the directions of Edinburgh and London.
As the evening progressed, service was suspended on Transpennine Express and London North Eastern Railway between Newcastle and Edinburgh Waverley due to overhead line problems.
There were also then delays of up to 180 minutes and some cancellations on Transpennine Express and London North Eastern Railway between Newcastle and York due to a lineside fire at Birtley.
The fire was one of three large blazes in the region during the evening as services from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue attended the scene of grass fires in the Scotswood area of Newcastle as well as to the rear of the Beacon of Light in Sunderland.
As yet, the causes of these fires remain unknown. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue were contacted but were unable to issue further information at the time.
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) spokesperson said: “We have had an extremely high number of calls this afternoon and into the evening reporting incidents across Tyne and Wear. Many of these incidents are relatively small fires that have a low risk to the public but have been exacerbated due to the extremely high temperatures. However, we have received 120 calls in less than two hours.
“We are also remain at the scene of a large grass fire in Scotswood. Six appliances have been in attendance at that incident. It is largely under control but we remain at the scene to ensure it doesn't reignite and spread to the surrounding area. Residents and businesses in that immediate area are asked to keep your doors and windows closed as there has been a high volume of smoke in the area. Thankfully nobody has been injured.
“Other fires include a fire on some rail tracks in Birtley and another grass fire at the Beacon of Light in Sunderland. Both have required a response from our crews who have brought the fires under control. Due to the high number of calls, we are prioritising those incidents where there is an immediate risk to public safety so please be patient and we will respond if it is appropriate and in as timely a fashion as possible.
“We want to thank all of our communities for behaving responsibly during the hot weather but we would remind the public to not light fires in this weather as they can spread quickly and put people’s life at risk. Both our firefighters and Fire Control staff are doing a fantastic job, particularly those who are tackling fires in full fire kit in these high temperatures. Please continue to work with us and we assure you that we will be there for you if public safety is at risk.”
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