Thanks for joining us this week as we brought you the latest on the impact of the record-breaking temperatures in the region.

We hope you managed to cool off where possible and found the time to enjoy the sun safely.

Image source, SWR

South Western Railway (SWR) is reminding customers that though the extreme heat will subside slightly over the weekend, temperatures will remain high and passengers should be prepared.

In addition, major engineering works are taking place in the New Malden area, which will significantly extend some journey times between London and destinations such as Bournemouth and Weymouth by about 30 to 45 minutes.

Stuart Meek, chief operating officer, suggested customers check before travelling this weekend and bring a bottle of water on their journeys.

"We are sorry for the disruption and thank our customers for their patience, understanding and support during this challenging week," he said.

Elsewhere, GWR said it expected to operate the "vast majority" of trains across its network, though there would be "some localised, planned changes" in London and the Thames Valley to Oxford, and to some services between Bristol and Salisbury. Again, passengers are advised to check before travelling.

Image source, SCAS

South Central Ambulance Service has urged people to particularly look out for elderly people suffering in the extreme heat.

The trust declared a critical incident on Thursday following high call numbers and pressure on its services.

Chief paramedic Duncan Robertson revealed it had received more than 2,200 calls since midnight - an increase of more than 50% increase on a normal day

"This is unprecedented for us at the moment.

"We're getting a lot of heat-related calls - people are dehydrated, collapsing. A lot of older people are really struggling in the heat at the moment.

"We would urge people to look after older relatives and neighbours - encourage them as much as possible to keep cool and stay hydrated."

Neranjana Elapatha
BBC South, Reading

"I can't think of a better place to be," says regular ice skater Rose Strachan in Slough, who has taken the rink alongside her friends.

One of her friends Deena Burgess who has skated for 20 years said: "I can remember some hot weather back in the 70s when we were kids but it does feel quite different."

She added: "Our houses aren't really designed for this kind of weather so the ice rink is perfect for that."

Sue Holloway said it was a "novelty" to have to put her jumper on to skate and then take it off when she gets outside.

"It's a great place to exercise without overheating."

Swimmers and others trying to stay cool during the heatwave have been enjoying an outdoor pool that reopened early this year following a backlash from residents.

Abbey Meadows Outdoor Pool in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, usually stays shut until the start of the school summer holidays part of an agreement between operators Better Leisure and the Vale of White Horse District Council.

There had previously been local upset and frustration after the pool failed to reopen during the record-breaking temperatures England experienced at the end of May.

But with this week's extreme heat forecast, the pool's management team decided to open up the facility almost a month earlier than planned.

Image source, SWASFT

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which serves Dorset, has experienced its busiest day on record after receiving more than 5,200 calls and managed more than 4,300 incidents across the south west on Thursday.

That's 390 more incidents than Wednesday and a 34% increase on the level of demand normally expected at this time of year.

As such the ambulance service is urging people to take sensible precautions to stay safe in the heat and to call 999 only in life-threatening emergencies.

Pete Brown, director of operations, said: "We recognise that some patients are waiting longer than we would like, and we are sorry for this.

"Our people are doing everything possible to provide safe care under unprecedented levels of demand."

Here's the all-important weather forecast for the rest of Friday and into the weekend.

Tonight

Tonight will begin dry and clear, however showers will push in from the south through the night, these locally heavy and thundery.

Saturday

Tomorrow will see any lingering showers clear in the morning. It will then turn mostly sunny, dry and hot for a time, however a few heavy, thundery showers may redevelop later in the day.

Outlook for Sunday to Tuesday

Sunday will be mostly dry with sunny spells albeit a few patches of cloud and the odd light shower may drift in at times.

Monday will see a mixture of variable cloud and sunny spells. Tuesday will also see variable cloud and sunny spells, with the additional chance of the odd shower. Temperatures will tend to take a dip on Sunday, feeling cooler in comparison.

Image source, UHS

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust says it remains in a critical incident as a result of the extreme heat, describing its hospitals as "very full" and affected by high temperatures.

"Although cooler weather is expected in the coming days, it will take some time for our buildings to return to normal conditions," it said.

Temporary visitor restrictions will remain in place over the weekend, with a maximum of two allowed per bedside.

"Our Emergency Department is extremely busy and we are caring for a high number of very unwell patients," the statement continues.

It says in non-emergency cases clinical teams will redirect patients to other services where they can be seen quicker.

Image source, Getty Images

TANKFEST at the Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, is under way today under the scorching sun.

Johnson Beharry, a recipient of the Victoria Cross for his bravery in Iraq, opened up proceedings driving a tank for the gathered spectators at the sold out event.

We're happy to report, in case you ever doubted it, temperatures are higher in Iraq today, peaking at 45C.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Slough Borough Council

Due to the ongoing red extreme heat warning, Slough Borough Council has extended its places to stay cool for people who are struggling with the heat.

The cool spaces, made available during the blast of hot weather, will be open Friday and Saturday, external between 10:00 and 18:00 BST.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, which serves parts of North East Hampshire, has declared a critical incident.

When it made the declaration at 22:40 yesterday there were a "significant number of outstanding calls waiting for an ambulance response".

Strategic commander James Pavey said: "By declaring a critical incident, it allows our teams to focus our efforts on those patients who need us most.

"We are therefore focusing our resources on life‑threatening emergencies. People contacting us with less serious conditions are likely to experience longer waits.

"In some cases, patients may be clinically assessed and advised to seek alternative care, rather than an ambulance being dispatched.

"We are asking the public to support us during this time by only calling 999 in a life‑threatening emergency."

New Forest Police have put out an update on the search operation that has been in progress since a 15-year-old boy went missing after going swimming at Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Hampshire, on Wednesday.

It said its marine unit and local officers on the ground have been involved in the search, with specialist dive teams brought in to assist on Thursday afternoon and again today.

"The search continued until late into the evening yesterday and resumed again first thing this morning," it said.

"Testwood Lakes remains closed to the public at this time, but we will endeavour to provide further updates as soon as we are able to.

"We thank all those who have assisted us to date and thank our local communities for their continued support.

"The family of the missing boy continue to be supported by specially trained officers."

Image source, PA Media

Thames Water says it is continuing to see "exceptionally high" demand for water and it's putting "increased pressure" on the network.

The water operator is asking customers to use water responsibly and only for "essential needs".

Andrew Tucker, water demand reduction manager, said: “We want everyone to enjoy the warmer weather and stay hydrated, but we have also seen big spikes in demand as temperatures have risen over several days, particularly from outdoor water use.

"All of our water is treated to drinking quality standards and comes from local sources, so using it efficiently in the garden really helps reduce the amount we take from the environment.

"Customers can help us keep water flowing by using water wisely, particularly during this hot, dry period when we are seeing demand is high."

We have heard from a resident in Oxfordshire that workers for the company were going door-to-door and handing out free packs of bottled water yesterday, in case of emergencies.

If you’re struggling in the heat at work today, the bad news is Mark Broad from Dutton Gregory has told us there is no specific law for maximum working temperatures.

But he does say employers still have to follow health and safety legislation.

"They have to make sure that staff are comfortable and safe and if it isn't obvious that just turning on the air con will do the trick they have to carry out a health and safety risk assessment and then remove any of those risks."

Broad says concerns could be addressed in different ways, such as relaxing dress codes, granting more breaks, providing water, or installing fans in the room.

He adds: "If the employee is themselves suffering then, having informed the employer and given the employer an opportunity to mitigate the problem, they could go home.

"But that I think would be quite extreme. The employer should be given opportunity to put things right first of all."

Image source, Dorset Hedgehog Rescue

A wildlife sanctuary has issued advice on how to care for hedgehogs during the heatwave after a surge of abandoned babies.

The Dorset Hedgehog Rescue in Dorchester said hoglets were "still coming in thick and fast" as the hot weather and lack of resources could trigger the mums' self-preservation mode "and they abandon the babies".

On Wednesday, the centre said one of the volunteers was hand feeding 21 hoglets, while another had 15 at her house.

Alastair Fee
Health Correspondent, BBC South

We're being warned a critical incident affecting hospitals in Hampshire could extend into the weekend.

The NHS says the extreme heat is impacting equipment, buildings, infrastructure and services.

Some planned operations and appointments have been cancelled - chiller units which failed at the Queen Alexandra hospital in Cosham are now back up and running but there are still delays.

BBC South health correspondent Alastair Fee spoke to Paul Grundy, the Chief Medical Officer at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, to find out how staff and patients are coping.

Image source, Getty

The temporary closure of Greggs stores, due to the high temperatures, has been extended, the company says.

Eleven sites across the UK, including Gosport High Street and Market Place, Wantage, Oxfordshire have been closed since Wednesday morning and were set to reopen earlier.

As the red weather warning has been extended for central southern England and south-east England until 21:00 BST the shops will remain closed, the company said in a statement.

The high street bakery said they had been closed "to protect its customers and colleagues during the severe hot weather".

Image source, Reading Council

While the weather remains hot, designated cool spaces are available in Reading.

Cool spaces are free indoor places where you can take a break from the heat, get out of the sun, cool down and rest and get some drinking water.

Council-run cool spaces that you can access during the heat alert on Friday:

• Reading Civic Centre on Bridge Street until 17:00
• Rivermead Leisure Centre, external until 21:00

On Saturday:

• Central library only – 10:00 - 15:00

There are also a number of other not council-operated local venues offering cool spaces, external during the hot weather.

The search for a 15-year-old boy missing after going swimming in a lake has entered a third day.

The boy was last seen in the water at Testwood Lakes, near Totton, Hampshire on Wednesday at about 13:35 BST.

Police, including marine teams, have been carrying out extensive searches at the 150-acre nature reserve since he went missing.

The reserve, owned by Southern Water and managed by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, remains closed with people urged to avoid the area.