A double-decker bus caught fire in West London, as the capital city remains in the grip of a heatwave. The blaze broke out at Westbourne Park bus garage on Wednesday evening, destroying an electric double-decker bus and two electric vehicle charging points.

Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters attended the incident after the London Fire Brigade was called at 6.23pm. Crews had the blaze under control by 7.11pm and remained at the scene into the evening, while the road outside the depot was closed in both directions, disrupting bus routes 28, 31 and 328. Westbourne Park station also temporarily closed before reopening later in the evening. A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: “The fire involved a double decker electric bus, which was destroyed by the fire. Two electric vehicle charging points were also destroyed. There are no reports of any injuries. The Brigade was first called about the fire at 1823, and crews had the incident under control by 1911.

“Firefighters will remain on scene into the evening. Crews from North Kensington and Paddington fire stations attended the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade’s Fire Investigation Team.”

Dramatic footage shared on social media showed flames engulfing the bus as employees wearing high-visibility clothing watched nearby.

The incident came as the UK recorded its hottest June day since records began, with the Met Office reporting a provisional temperature of 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, surpassing the previous June record of 35.6C set in 1976.

The Met Office issued a rare red extreme heat warning, warning of a risk to life as exceptionally high temperatures affected much of England.

Earlier in the day, The Metro reported being removed from a bus elsewhere in London as it struggled in the heat.

Rail operators also urged passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary as soaring temperatures affected services, while much of the London Underground network also experienced disruption.

The extreme temperatures caused disruption across the country, with hundreds of schools in England and Wales either closing or finishing early.

Several London landmarks, including Tower Bridge, the Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, were closed because of the heat.

The Changing of the Guard ceremonies in London and Windsor were also suspended until Thursday.

Meanwhile, the National Energy System Operator (NESO) asked electricity suppliers to increase generating capacity as demand for electricity rose, with many people relying on fans and air conditioning to stay cool.