Britain recorded its highest-ever temperature of +40 on Tuesday as the heat wave that gripped Europe intensified, sizzling fields, damaging runways and forcing railroad tracks to buckle under pressure, Reuters reported.

The Meteorological Office said a preliminary record, which has yet to be confirmed, was recorded at 12:50 p.m. local time at London's Heathrow airport, surpassing the previous high of +38.7 recorded in 2019.

Rail routes from London to the east and west coasts of the country were canceled because of the heat, usually bustling city centers looked calm, and zoos struggled to keep animals cool.

East of the capital, a large fire engulfed homes in the village of Wennington, the flames engulfed nearby dry fields and approached a historic church.

The London Fire Brigade has declared a major incident in the succession of fires and urged people to abandon barbecues.

Britain, which is struggling to maintain key transportation services in extreme heat or snow, has been placed under a state of emergency due to unprecedented temperatures.

Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said it would be years before Britain could fully upgrade its infrastructure to cope with the high temperatures, after at least two runways showed signs of damage Monday.

Climatologists said that once-unthinkable temperatures in London are likely to become more common in the coming years.