Bin collections across the country could be delayed this week due to the sweltering heat, councils have warned.

Yesterday temperatures hit highs of 31.7°C and this weekend forecasters have warned the mercury could exceed 40°C on Sunday – setting a new UK record.

Britons can expect 32°C heat today, followed by a slight dip tomorrow and Friday, before some sweltering conditions over the weekend.

In response, South Oxfordshire District Council have warned bin collections could be halted because of the heat.

Residents have been advised to leave bins out for two days after their scheduled collection if they haven’t been emptied.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich, in southeast London, also warned of delays this week due to the hot weather.

It comes as the TUC calls for a maximum indoor working temperature of 30°C, 27°C for strenuous work – to indicate when workers should legally stop.

The union also wants companies to allow staff to come in earlier or stay later to ‘avoid the stifling and unpleasant conditions of the rush-hour commute’.

It added: ‘Bosses should consider enabling staff to work from home while it is hot.’

Meanwhile drivers have been advised to only hit the roads if its really necessary if temperatures hit 40°C this weekend.

The RAC recorded a 10% increase in breakdowns on Monday compared with a typical Monday in mid-July, with hundreds of vehicles across the UK not able to function properly due to the heat.

People are being urged to have a bottle of water, extra engine oil, and suncream in their vehicles.

Train passengers have also been warned to expect disruption, as Network Rail warns that ‘extremely hot temperatures’ could cause lines to ‘expand and sometimes buckle’.

Speed restrictions were imposed yesterday due to high temperatures on a number of lines across the network.

On Monday, train tracks caught fire in Battersea, southwest London, after a stray spark set some timber beams alight.

Meanwhile, households have been urged by utility companies to save water, as there’s been low rainfall this year and lower than average groundwater and reservoir supplies.

Up to 20,000 homes on the Isle of Sheppey were left without running water yesterday after a main burst amid 28°C heat.

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