YORK was braced today for its hottest ever weather, with forecasters predicting temperatures will soar this afternoon to a sizzling 39C, or 102.2 F.*

The heatwave has led to the closure today of the East Coast Mainline between York and London, amid fears of rails buckling and overhead power lines drooping in the heat and being brought down by trains.

And York-based train operator Northern, whose services include the York-Harrogate route, has issued a 'do not travel' notice to customers for today, saying they should instead stay indoors and keep cool.

Regional director Tony Baxter said: “We don’t issue ‘Do Not Travel’ notices lightly, but given the guidance published by government and expected disruption caused by extreme temperatures, we feel this is the safest advice for our customers."

Meanwhile, City of York Council sent out its gritters yesterday because of fears of 'melting' roads.

The authority tweeted: "We know this might look a little strange, but when road surfaces reach high temperatures, it can causes the bitumen to rise to the surface which looks like the surface is melting."

But the council's binmen are still barred from wearing shorts - although it's a different story just a few miles to the east of York.

While City of York Council continues to insist on thick, heavy protective trousers despite the heatwave - causing one refuse collector to wear a kilt in protest last week - East Riding of Yorkshire Council said yesterday that ITS staff can wear shorts at this time of year.

Northern Powergrid said its electricity network was operating as normal but was prepared for any potential impact of the heatwave.

Scarborough & Ryedale Mountain Rescue said it had come to the aid of a walker overcome by heat exhaustion and dehydration while walking the Cleveland Way near Ravenscar on the Yorkshire coast.

A spokesperson said the rescue team ensured she took on additional fluids before walking her slowly to a waiting team vehicle and driving her back to her car, where her husband drove them back to their holiday cottage.

"The weather is forecast to get significantly hotter over the next two days, maybe a good time to put off that exercise for a few days – the views will still be there," they added.

Tourist attractions such as York Maze at Elvington and Tropical World in Leeds have closed for the two days of the heatwave because of the intense heat.

City centre cafes, for example on Kings Staith, were busy yesterday - provided shade was available - while staff at York Minster said it was 'just the place' to visit during the heatwave, tweeting: "Feeling the heat? Come and cool down in the Minster, one of the world’s most magnificent cathedrals."

*BBC Weather was yesterday forecasting a maximum of 40C in York today, but modified its forecast this morning, and is now predicting 39C at about 3pm - still a record-breaking temperature for York and the UK, and warmer than body temperature.