Drivers have been rushed to hospital after being stuck in their cars during the hottest day of the year following a serious accident on the M25.
The M25 was closed yesterday afternoon for several hours, with emergency services rushing to deal with an accident between J5 Chevening Interchange and J6 Godstone Interchange.
In addition to National Highways traffic officers, Surrey Police, Surrey Fire and Rescue, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb), and an Air Ambulance all attended the scene.
The ambulance service reported that “a number of patients” were being attended to after they were stranded in traffic on the M25 in the record-setting weather.
It acknowledged that some vehicles were stationary in the searing heat for several hours as a result of the “severe and prolonged” congestion on the motorway.
SECAmb stated: “This has resulted in a number of calls from people suffering from heat-related illnesses, including a number of coach passengers.”
The service noted that heavy traffic was making it difficult for ambulance clinicians to reach some patients.
However, the South East Coast Ambulance Service worked with its partner agencies to improve access and prioritise those most in need.
Labour MP Tony Vaughan called for urgent action to protect motorists stuck in the hot weather
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The NHS Foundation Trust urged drivers to avoid the M25 on the Kent and Surrey border, and allow emergency services space to access those in need.
It thanked the public for their patience and urged motorists to stay hydrated if they were in stationary traffic.
The calls for greater help were echoed by Labour MP for Folkestone and Hythe, Anthony Vaughan, who appealed on behalf of one of his constituents.
He claimed that a constituent had been stuck on the M25 near Oxted for eight hours, with temperatures reaching 40C in her car.
The Met Office extended its red weather warning for extreme heat to much of southern England
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The MP said the woman had her kids in the car and they were running out of water, prompting Mr Vaughan to call out Surrey Police and National Highways to “sort this out urgently”.
Posting on social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, he added: “Police seem to be saying it’s not their job to give out water. The person from the car in front has been airlifted to hospital with dehydration.
“People need water and some may need evacuation. You have protocols for this situation – please implement them – this is an emergency!”
In response, AA President Edmund King OBE said a carriageway turnaround should have been implemented, and water should have been distributed.
Long delays were seen on the M25 yesterday following a serious accident
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“Surely there is crisis management manual for such incidents. Yes we had advised to carry plenty of water but not 8 hours worth,” the expert added.
The Met Office provisionally stated that the UK has set a new daily maximum air temperature record, with the mercury hitting 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, yesterday.
It breaks the previous record of 35.6C which was recorded on June 28, 1976, and June 29, 1957.
Given the continuing heatwave and repeated weather warnings, the Met Office has suggested that the figure could be beaten again in the coming days.